The Flip of a Coin
by Unrivaled Mind
Summary: He's just a simple F.B.I. agent trying to catch an elusive cartel when his life is thrown out of control. One thing leads to another and he's brought into a secret organization with a single purpose. With his help they believe they can stop the terrorists they have been tangling with for years. And a certain person is making everything rather difficult. M for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok this is just a short chapter because I want to see what people think. I'm not going to continue it right now but I might after my other story is finished if you guys say to. It's basically up to you all lol. So just let me know what you think of the start and stuff. Also, this is rated M for violence. And if you don't already know from my other story, this is Unparalleledthinking and I'm going to be putting up the Epilogue to Forgetting the Past on my new name at some point in the future and if you still don't know what happened and why it was taken down, I explain it on my first yeah, here you go.  
**

"Team two status?"

He wiped at the sweat on his brow, and rolled his shoulders as his partner answered.

"Team two in position. On your command."

A few seconds passed as he stood to the left of the door, the sun beating down on him and making this situation even less comfortable. Finally the order was given.

"Move in!"

His partner kicked in the door and they moved swiftly in pattern, clearing each room, guns drawn. Behind them more agents swarmed in and up and down the stairs to cover the rest of the house. One by one the reports came back clear. He swore. This was supposed to be a bust. Their evidence was solid and they had enough to put these guys away for a long time and yet somehow they couldn't ever seem to pinpoint their position. They'd get a location but every time they'd arrive the cartel would be gone. This was the second time and it was beginning to piss him off to no end.

Walking back out into the blistering heat he holstered his weapon roughly and ripped off his bullet-proof vest. This was getting ridiculous. His partner stopped next to him.

"Next time man."

"This was the next time Garrow. There has to be somebody tipping them off."

"Don't jump to conclusions."

"This isn't me jumping to conclusions. This is me pointing out the only possible answer."

"Eragon, there is no mole. Come on, only our task force knows about this. You're basically calling one of us a traitor."

"What else could it be!?"

Garrow sighed and sat in the driver side of his white Dodge Charger, perk of being FBI, while Eragon walked to the passenger side and slid in. His partner, friend, and father-figure looked at him.

"Let's go to our informants again. Maybe they know whats going on."

"Or maybe their the ones throwing us off."

Garrow chose not to answer and so they drove in silence for a while when Eragon's phone buzzed. Reaching down he unclipped it from his belt and brought it to his ear.

"Eragon Shay speaking."

"Dude get your ass over here I got something for you!"

"James? What is it?"

"Not over the phone, man."

Eragon sighed.

"We'll be there in ten."

Garrow looked over.

"What's he claiming now?"

Eragon shrugged.

"Said he'd tell me when we got there."

"Why do you keep him on? Most of what he tells you is bull or so unhelpful that we can't do anything with it."

"Because when he's right he gives us the biggest busts. Remember last year with that smuggling ring through the port? That was James. He may be a little off in the head but when he hears something and can get it across to us, it's almost always helpful."

"But he works at the docks, why would he have heard anything about the cartel?"

"I don't know. That's why I think we should go see him. It's too random for it to be nothing. Maybe this is the break we need."

Garrow was not convinced but he held his tongue. Eragon pulled up to the guardhouse by the docks and flashed his badge before they were waved through. He drove to the far side and pulled over by one of thousands of shipping crates, the usual meeting spot. After a couple minutes James appeared around it. Eragon got out along with Garrow and met him halfway.

"James."

The man before them was short, his burly arms and chest making him look bigger than he actually was and a long scar, starting from his hairline all the way to his chin, made him look much scarier. Probably the most off-putting was the wild way his eyes looked. They were never still, always darting to and fro and they were almost completely black. He nodded nervously.

"Eragon, Garrow."

Garrow frowned, wanting to get this over with.

"You said you had something for us?"

The short man nodded and looked around him to make sure no one was listening before glancing back at Eragon.

"So first I need your promise that you ain't gonna be mad at me for telling you something."

Eragon crossed his arms.

"What?"

The man whined.

"You gotta promise!"

"Fine, I promise. What is it?"

James clenched his hands and shifted from one foot to the other.

"Well, most of the time I try and stay out of stuff and mind my own business." Eragon fought back a grin. That was like the opposite of James He was pretty sure if he looked up "nosy" in the dictionary James would be the example. "But I really can't keep quiet about this. You see, last night I was working late and doing. . . stuff," Eragon sighed. James was a little bit of a clepto. Nothing big, just a few tools here, a few bucks from the offices there. He'd promised to stop but he never really believed he would. "and I saw these guys dragging crate after crate and loading it into a truck. I didn't think anything of it until I saw this girl. She was like twenty-five or something and probably the most beautiful woman ever. I thought she was just working with them but when she saw me out of the corner or her eye through the window she slammed her head into the man behind her."

Garrow interrupted. "What did she look like?"

James looked at him annoyed.

"Will you let me finish?"

Garrow rolled his eyes.

"By all means."

He continued.

"So all this shouting started and one of the crates was dropped. All this white powder spilled out but it was like they didn't even notice. All they wanted was to stop the girl, who was beatin' the hell outta all of them, by the way. She was fighting like mad and yelling for somebody to run. Suddenly I see this blonde girl sprinting towards the shipping containers over here. Once they'd knocked the dark haired woman unconscious they searched for the blonde but I don't think they found her. Pissed em' right off too. I'm glad they didn't see me inside like the lady had cause they prolly' woulda' killed me."

It was taking everything in Eragon not to let his jaw drop.

"What happened after that?"

"Well they were yelling at each other with this crazy looking dude with red hair drove up and yanked that lady up by her hair. I think she was awake then because he like wrapped his hands around her throat, lifted er' up, and was talking to her. She didn't say nothin' though. I got a picture of her then, to show you. Then they all cleaned up their mess and-"

Whatever he was about to say was lost as something slammed through him. Eragon watched in horror as deep crimson blood pooling and dripping down his front. James looked down at himself, terror entering his eyes. He looked up at eragon just as another bullet impacted, this time through his head. The red liquid sprayed Eragon as he watched his informant drop to the ground, the look of fear still etched into his still face. Garrow yanked Eragon out of the way and they moved around behind his car. A barrage of bullets flew into the metal and over their heads. They unholstered their weapons and he called in as Garrow covered him.

"Shots fired at the Southport docks! Man down, send back up immediately!" Hanging up he turned to Garrow. "What are you thinking?"

"There's too many of them to go anywhere. We're just going to have to wait it out for back up."

He'd just spoken when Garrow's car started smoking. Eragon slammed his hand into it.

"Dammit, Garrow it's gonna blow, we need to move."

"You go I'll cover."

"No, you first"

"Do not argue with me!"

Eragon sighed.

"On three?"

"On three."

He counted down and then went to a full out sprint as Garrow shot over the top of the car. Something slammed into Eragon's shoulder but he kept moving and was safely around the side of the metal container within seconds, pain radiating through his entire left arm. He ignored it as he raised his gun and leaned around.

"Garrow, I got you! Run!"

Just as he spoke he saw a projectile heading for the car. Alarm filled him and ignoring his own safety, he started back towards his partner, yelling.

"Garrow! Run! Garro-"

The explosion rocked the ground and he felt an intense heat as a force shoved him off his feet and away from the car. He hit the ground and his body and head slammed back into the cement. His vision faded and as he lost consciousness, he heard the wail of the sirens.

When his eyes opened again he saw paramedics lifting him. And that's when the pain hit. He clenched his teeth to avoid shouting. But everything was forgotten when he looked next to him and saw Garrow being loaded into an ambulance. He tried to sit up but was forced back down.

"You need to stay still."

"Garrow! Is he alright?"

They didn't answer him but instead pushed a mask over his mouth and nose. Slowly, he lost consciousness again.

When he woke up there were tubes hooked into him and a breathing mask over his face. He yanked it off and pulled out the needles from his arms, lurching out of the hospital bed. The pain struck him and he groaned but continued to get up. His arm was in a sling and his head was bandaged up. Pain rocketed through his body and he stumbled slightly as some monitors around him started beeping loudly. As he was about to walk out of the room two nurses blocked his way.

"Sir, you need to lay back down."

"I need to find Garrow."

They pushed him backwards but he resisted, his focus so intent that at that moment, he didn't really care if he had to shove through twenty nurses. Suddenly his Captain was standing in front of him.

"Sit down, Eragon."

"Sir!"

"Sit."

Fighting his rage he sat back down on the bed as the nurses reconnected the I.V.'s. They left when they finished and Eragon looked at his Captain.

"Garrow?"

The look that passed through his Captain's eyes was all he needed to understand.

"I'm sorry, Eragon. Garrow. . . didn't make it."

"No."

It was a whisper of hatred. Aimed at the people who killed him yes, but mostly at himself. For going first. For not saving him. He looked away as tears assaulted his eyes. Garrow had been his partner since he'd started at the F.B.I. a year before, but he'd known him since he was ten. Garrow had been the one to get him interested in becoming and agent in the first place. Fifty-three was too early for a man like him to go.

"I'm sorry, Shay."

Eragon shook his head.

"It's not your fault."

The Captain caught his meaning and gripped Eragon's good shoulder.

"It's not yours either."

The next days leading up to Garrow's funeral were horrible. The day of was no different. He didn't think he could handle going l but not showing up was unacceptable. So, with sorrow hanging from every inch of his heart, he dressed in his best suit, his last respect for the man who'd given him everything, and walked out of the house.

It was raining heavily by the time he arrived in his truck. The service was full almost to the point of overflowing, and at the front he saw something that made his heart squeeze so tightly he could barely breath. Garrow's son. Two friends were on either side and he could see the agony on the man's face. Roran was only a year older than him and in the time he'd known him, they'd become almost like brothers. Now though. . . .

When it was time to bury Garrow they made their way to the cemetery. He was glad for the rain because it hid the few tears that forced their way down his cheeks. He was one of the last to leave and when he stood, thoroughly soaked through, he came face to face with Roran. Before he could speak the man's fist slammed into his jaw, knocking him sideways. He stumbled slightly and stood back up, ready to let himself be punched again. He deserved it. So many times he'd promised to protect Roran's dad and he'd failed him.

"You let him die!"

Garrow's son took a step to strike again but Baldor and his brother grabbed his arms. Baldor tried to reason with him.

"Come on dude, you know it wasn't his fault."

Roran struggled for a moment and then his head dropped, eyes filled with pain and brimming with unshed tears.

"You should've died in his place."

The truth in the statement hit him hard. He really should have. Eragon's throat tightened and he choked out,

"I know."

The brothers led Roran away and Eragon said his goodbyes to Garrow, promising that he would avenge him. With that he went home and changed, his resolve to put a bullet in the head of whoever killed Garrow strengthening with every step he took. Then straddling his bike, he took off towards his building, not caring that the rain was soaked to his skin before he was even halfway there. When he stepped inside people looked at him with pity, causing him to become even more angry. His Captain, Reese Vensril, saw him and frowned.

"You shouldn't be here."

"Whose heading up the case now?"

"Vincent, but you need to go home. You're head is still concussed and your arm is nowhere near healed."

"I don't really care. I'm joining him."

"Eragon, you're too close to this."

Eragon fumed, stepping in his boss's space.

"Damn right I am! That was my partner!"

"Agent Shay, back down, now."

Eragon glared at his boss.

"You keep me from this case I'll work it on my own."

His boss studied him and then sighed.

"Fine. But you make no decisions without Vincent's approval."

"Fine."

He brushed past Reese and headed to find Vincent Fae. When he found him Vincent shook his head.

"No, Shay."

"Orders from Reese. Ask him if you don't believe me."

"I will."

Minutes later Vincent was in the process of catching Eragon up with the case.

"We found a witness at the scene but she wont talk to anyone. I'm-"

Eragon's head shot up from reading a file.

"Girl? How old?"

"About eighteen or so. Blonde hair. Intense blue eyes unlike anything I've ever seen. She wont tell us who she is and we can't find her through any recognition software."

"Is it the same girl from the picture on James phone?"

"What?"

Eragon rolled his eyes.

"Where's James' phone?"

Vincent picked up a bag and tossed it to Eragon. Quickly he pulled it out and flipped it on. Password. Of course. It was one of those passwords with the nine dots. Tilting the screen he held it to the light and saw the remainder of streaks made by a finger. The pattern obvious even in the morphing of the screen. Dusting it he saw the code clearly. The moment the phone unlocked he went to the photos. What he saw took his breath from his lungs. A strong reaction for somebody he'd never met before. She was gorgeous. Her hair was a raven black and her skin was a pale porcelain color. Even with the man's hands around her neck, her face was still perfect. Every angle and slight curve. But her eyes, above all, were the most unique. They were a deep emerald green and looked alive. And they were filled with a cold hatred for the man she was looking at. All the sudden he hated the man too.

"What did you find?"

Eragon shook out of his trance and tossed the phone to Vincent.

"They're keeping that girl hostage right now. I need to speak with the witness."

"She won't talk to you."

"So you say."

"You know, we could've known all this already if you'd just given your statement when we tried in the hospital."

"I don't really care. I'll give it to you after I talk to the witness."

"You'll give it to me now, Shay."

Eragon frowned.

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

Sighing, Eragon recounted the entire day. When he got to the part with Garrow he stopped and glared at Vincent.

"I'm pretty sure you can figure out the rest."

"I'm sorry, but I need you to go through it."

Flashbacks of the event assaulted him before he could force them out. He closed his eyes and focused on the beautiful girl's face until the other images were gone. Opening them, he glared at Vincent.

"I already did."

Vincent watched him a moment and then sighed.

"Fine. But you'll need to do it later.

"Whatever."

Eragon walked towards the conference room where they were keeping the girl. Pushing into the room he looked to find a young girl looking out the window. He sat at the table and waited for her to look at him. When she did her eyes widened.

"You were at the docks."

"Yes, did you see what happened? Who are those guys?"

She seemed to realize she talked and looked away angrily. He sighed.

"We could really use your help." When she didn't answer he stood and went to sit next to her on the sill. In the next word he spoke he let every note of hatred and pain through. "Please?"

The girl looked at him, surprised at his desperate whisper.

"Why?"

"To catch the bad guys."

She smirked.

"That's obviously not the reason."

He frowned and then shrugged, admitting it. Admitting everything with a cold voice.

"Ok so the reason is because those animals killed by partner. The only person who actually ever cared what happened to me. The person who taught me everything. And because I went first, he died. I'm going to find these guys, and I'm going to kill them."

"So I should tell you everything you know just so you can go and get yourself killed?"

Eragon nodded.

"Exactly."

The girl watched him for a moment and then sighed.

"Ok then. My name is Saphira and my friend and guardian was Arya. They took us because they needed me and Arya risked her life to save mine. So before you go into this guns blazing, I need you to promise me you'll do everything you can to save her."

"I promise. Do you know where they are?"

Saphira nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, so I decided to try my hand at writing two stories at once. This one may not be as scheduled as the other, because no matter what, "An Unwanted Bond" will always be up on Fridays, but I will continue to write this in any of my spare time. I'm really glad you all liked it! Also, my hands were completely tied when it comes to the removal of FtP. Like, I had no way on earth of stopping it lol. If you don't know the reason it was removed, you really should go to my UnparralledThinking profile because I explain it all. FtP will not be allowed back up, so I am only putting up the epilogue. Also, I really didn't think this chapter went to fast, personally. The whole point was an introduction of the plot and characters. There was no way to draw it out I don't think. **

As he made his way out of the room, driven by his anger and with the knowledge of the gangs location, two people grabbed his arms. He pulled but it was to no avail.

"What the hell!"

In front of him his boss was looking at him tiredly.

"Eragon, we can't let you get yourself killed by running in there. You're in no condition anyways."

Furiously he tried to escape but Vincent joined the others and he had no chance. The Captain looked apologetically at him before ordering,

"Put him in there with her and lock the door. You two stay on the exit and make sure he stays here."

Eragon was furious.

"Reese!"

"Shay we have to do this right! We'll stake out the building and then if we find them there we'll move in."

"They'll be gone in the days that will take!"

Reese ignored him.

"Put him in there."

He was pushed into the room, one of the agents jostling his injured shoulder and making him bite his tongue. The door was closed behind him and he slammed his good shoulder against it in vain. Finally he gave up and walked toward the window from where Saphira was watching him. He looked down the ten stories and weighed the stupidity of climbing out the window and down the building.

"You'd die."

He looked over.

"You know this how?"

"If you calculate all the possible mistakes and the height and your condition, it comes to a 97.5 percent chance that you will fall to your death by slipping. There's a chance that you could hold on but with only one arm that chance is decreased by 87 percent."

Eragon's eyes widened.

"How did you do that?"

Saphira tapped her brain.

"I'm kind of smart."

"Kind of?"

She shrugged.

"Well, really smart, but whatever."

"Is that why those guys were after you?"

Saphira nodded.

"Yepps."

"What do they need you for?"

Her face darkened and she looked away. He decided not to push and instead focused on finding a way out. Coming up with something he turned to her.

"Will you help me escape?"

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, they wait three days casing out the building. Durza has your friend. Do the math. Do you really think she has three days?"

The girl watched him for a moment and then nodded.

"What do you want me to do?"

Ten minutes later she walked to the door.

"Excuse me, but I think you'll want to come in here."

One of the agents on the other side questioned her.

"Why?"

"Well unless you want your man to die. . ."

The door opened cautiously but when they saw the window that Eragon had opened moments before, they ran into the room.

"Did he go out there?"

"Yeah."  
They leaned out, looking around. Eragon, who'd been behind the door, sprinted out of the room and closed it behind him. The agents, realizing what had happened, ran back and pounded on it.

"Shay, don't do something stupid! Open the door."

Eragon sighed.

"Sorry guys."

And before they could get word to anyone, he made his way out of the building. Straddling his bike, he took off towards the building where he knew he would find his revenge.

The problem was, by the time he arrived, he could tell they were watching for him. Many of the agents posted in non conspicuous places around the building to watch it were keeping an eye on anything but. They were watching for him. After a couple minutes casing the place he had decided on a plan of a few blocks away he walked into the clothes store there. He bought jeans, a black wife-beater tank top, and some sunglasses along with a ball cap. Changing into them in the fitting room he walked back outside and made it obvious he was carrying by tucking his gun into the band of his jeans in the back.

The last thing he did was take off the arm sling, ignoring the ache in his shoulder, before walking purposefully towards the building. If all went as planned, his team would think him to be one of their targets and let him in without hassle. His face was covered enough by the aviators and the hat that they couldn't see it and without the sling, he had a good chance of making it. And he did. All the way up until he reached the doors. And then a jogger, who wasn't truly a jogger, went by and almost tripped over his own feet. He glared as Eragon walked through the door but didn't do anything else lest he ruin his cover. Eragon entered the air-conditioned building just as a huge man stepped in front of him.

"You need to leave."

Eragon held his ground, pulling off his glasses and glaring at the beast of a man before him.

"I don't think you're boss would like that very much considering he called me here to solve your little problem."

"Really?"

"Yes."

The man, although strong, was obviously not that smart.

"Go on."

"Where is he?"

"Third floor, office 324." The burly man chuckled evilly. "He's having some fun with one of his . . ahem, prisoners."

Eragon bristled but nodded his thanks. He made as if going to the elevators but instead pushed through the doors to the staircase. A musty, old smell assaulted his nose and he fought the urge to gag.His body, bruised and sore from the explosion, complained as he took the steps two at a time. He kept an eye out for cameras but so far he'd seen none. At the second floor he was stopped by a man who looked much more intelligent than the last. His brow was furrowed, eyes looking at eragon suspiciously.

"Who the hell are you?"

Eragon shrugged as he moved closer.

"None of your concern. All you need to know is that I am a friend of your boss and -"

He stopped because as soon as he was close enough, he punched the man in the face with his good arm, glad now that his left, not his right, had been shot. The man groaned and crumpled to the ground but continued to move so Eragon kicked him across the skull, knocking him out. He grabbed the gun that had a silencer on it from the man's holster and continued on. Eragon stepped into a dim hallway on the third floor and shoved his cap into a trash-can before continuing. Readying the gun, he moved quietly down the hall. The first guard who saw him pulled his own gun without asking questions, shouting for back up. Eragon silenced him with a shot to the forehead.

But he'd been heard and three more guards came running. He dropped them with three shots just as two more came around the corner behind him. Turning quickly he fired.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She cringed as his fist swept across her jaw, cutting it with his ring. The coppery smell of blood filled her nose, making her frown. He chuckled and landed another blow in her gut. Still, she gave him no show of pain except for the occasional wince. She would not shout for this man. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Just then a voice echoed over the speaker.

"Sir, we have an intruder."

Durza's eyes narrowed.

"Position?"

"Stairwell. Do you want the video feed?"

"Yes."

The t.v. in front of Arya flicked on and showed a man her age or maybe a year less, she guessed 24, with a baseball cap, moving up the steps. She watched him talk casually and importantly to the guard before bashing his head in and continue on. When he stepped through the door and rid himself of the cap, she got a clear view of his face. His hair was short but it waved naturally into a style and his brown eyes, intelligent and quick, looked around, passing over the camera like it wasn't there. _They must be hidden somehow or he'd have seen it_. When the next man sounded the alarm, she was surprised with the cold precision he showed. One bullet for each guard. It was much better than she would expect of even some of her people. Especially with him only using one arm. His left hung by his side and he seemed to turn his body as if protecting it. The carnage continued, the body count tallying up, and she watched Durza, the man who was in the process of beating the life out of her, grow tense. He spoke to his guard.

"Bring everybody up, now."

"You want him dead?"

Durza considered and then smirked, looking back at Arya.

"No. This one is going to be a lifeless heap soon, I'll need a new punching bag."

His words sent chills through her but she didn't show anything. Instead, she looked back to the screen and watched as men came from all sides, swarming the lone one in the halls. Even with the overwhelming numbers against him, he fought on, firing his gun until it was out and then pulling another. It helped that the others weren't allowed to kill him but even then, the man was subdued by a gun butt to an already bruised face. His body collapsed to the ground and the guards grabbed his arms, violently dragging him through the halls to a door. She wasn't surprised to find the door to the office she was in, open. They threw in the limp man and Durza shooed them away, telling them to clean up the lifeless bodies in the hall.

She studied the man along with Durza, trying to decide if he was one of the Varden or just some rogue. Durza pulled Eragon up with his surprising strength and tied him to a chair as she was. A few minutes later the man woke. His head rolled groggily before shooting up and taking in his surroundings. He caught her eyes and recognition flashed through them before Durza yanked his head to face him. She frowned. She didn't think she'd ever met this man before. She never forgot a face and his would definitely be a hard to forget. Durza spoke.

"I know you, don't I?"

The man shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm not sure. Maybe I saw you last week at the grocery store? I think you were buying adult diapers. . . . or maybe it was tampons?"

Arya smirked but Durza bristled angrily and then a disgusting smirk crossed his face.

"No. No, you were at the docks. When we exploded the car, killed your partner."

_So that was why he was here. _Next to her the man stiffened and Durza laughed.

"Yes, we saw that maggot dock worker talking to you and decided to listen in. We saw you run from the car and didn't think we wanted you getting away. Did you see the look on your partners face as he died? You know if you'd have let him go first he'd have lived right? It's your fault he's dead."

Arya wanted to kill Durza right then and there. How could anyone be so evil? Durza continued his torturous words.

"Yes, and I saw you at his funeral. His son punched you because he knew too that you were to blame. You are the reason Garrow is dead."

The man's head snapped up and fury locked his entire body in a tense line, his eyes looked like they could burn through metal.

"Don't you dare speak his name!"

Durza laughed.

"Oh, Eragon. You poor, poor man. You have to live with the fact that you're the reason your partner is dead. How does that feel?"

Eragon kicked at Durza viciously, connecting with a shin. Durza swore and jabbed his thumb into Eragon's left shoulder, making him gasp in pain. Durza grinned.

"Oh, yes. We got one off in you, didn't we? I bet that bullet hurt. But not worse than what you've done. My question is, did you really think you would kill everyone here?"

"I'd hoped."

"Foolish."

"Obviously."

Durza looked at the man sharply and a grin appeared.

"You weren't planning leaving here alive. Either that or you didn't care if you lived or died."

Eragon shrugged.

"Something like that."

Durza chuckled.

"It's almost too bad you hate us so much. You were be an excellent addition to the team."

Eragon spit.

"Never."

Durza shrugged indifferently.

"Well I could always brainwash you. And then I could use you to kill this pretty little thing right here." Durza grinned. "You don't even know what your in the middle of, do you? This isn't some drug cartel that you and your F.B.I. friends have been chasing. This is so much bigger than that." He paused and then tilted his head in question. "Did you happen to find anyone after the police showed up? A girl?"

Arya swore silently. If this agent gave away Saphira the girl would be in Durza's hands by the end of the day. Eragon nodded and Arya's heart sank but his words relieved her.

"Yeah, this lady, about eighty years old saw some stuff. Too bad she'd escaped from a nursing home the day before. Because of Alzheimer's she's not usable in court."

Durza laughed but somebody cut over the speakers.

"Sir, I think there's surveillance on us outside."

"What?"

"Yeah, two vans have been out there for almost an hour and theres a lot of people just aimlessly passing by that really wouldn't be. Don't know for sure."

Durza slammed his hand on the table and then whirled on Eragon, eyes raging although there was a hint of admiration in them. The veins on his forehead were bulging. Spitting a curse he punched Eragon in the face.

"You sneaky bastard. Very well played!"

With that he stomped out of the room. Eragon's head lolled back in his chair from the force of the blow. She spoke.

"Very well played indeed."

He looked at her, eyes flashing something she couldn't catch.

"Sure was."

A bullhorn from outside.

"THE BUILDING IS SURROUNDED. COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR."

Eragon chuckled and pulled at his bindings with his good arm. After a moment he gave up. Instead he stood, chair and all, and walked towards the window. He threw his weight at it and the legs of the chair shattered the glass. He winced as the force wounded his shoulder but called outside.

"It's Shay! Whose down there?"

"Shay? You idiot! What's going on?"

"Me and this woman are up here in this room. We're tied up and I can't get free."

"Is she ok?"

Eragon looked back at her.

"Eh, seems to be although she's pretty beat up."

"You ok?"

"Physically? Relatively."

The man chuckled.

"How about mentally?"

Eragon grinned.

"You know I've always been a little damaged in that area."

"Hang on, Peter's calling this in. We'll get you out of there. Eragon. . ." The man below paused as if debating whether to say something. Finally he spoke. "what if you had died?"

The man below's voice had become serious.

"Then good riddance."

"You don't mean that."

"Don't I? Just get us out."

"The guys told me how you got out of the conference room, bro. I can't believe that girl helped you."

Arya tensed and interrupted.

"You said you didn't find a girl."

Eragon turned around.

"Of course I did. I didn't think it would be a good idea to tell Durza what he wanted."

"Is she alright?"

"Perfect. Although she has a bit of an attitude."

Arya smirked and nodded. _That's her_. Suddenly an explosion rocked the building and gunfire erupted. Just as soon as it started, it stopped. Silence ensued and the smell of smoke permeated the air, stinging their lungs. Fifteen minutes later their door opened and armed agents ran in. They untied them both and Arya cringed inwardly as she pretended to be all innocent and weak. It wasn't in her nature to be helpless and acting like it almost physically hurt. At this point she wasn't sure if Eragon had meant for everything that happened but he'd proven to be an exceptional liar so she wasn't positive. But. . . the look in his eyes as he fired shots, killing almost twenty guards. . . . that had been blind rage. She had a feeling he hadn't planned on making it out alive. Her guess turned out correct because as soon as they walked outside, a man with graying hair and a sturdy jaw walked up to Eragon. He looked furious.

"Badge and gun. Now."

"Sir-"

"I'm not your boss anymore, Eragon. That was the stupidest thing you've ever done. I don't care that you think it's your fault Garrow died. You don't go in and risk other people's lives just to try and get revenge. Four agents were injured in the blast caused by the men inside. Others were knocked unconscious. We managed to catch one of them but the red headed man saw and shot him before we could do anything. You have caused me to be reprimanded and others are off explaining _your _mistakes! You. Are. Done."

Eragon sighed and nodded. Paramedics ushered them both into an ambulance and she didn't see him again until later that night.

She'd been questioned for over an hour and she'd pretended to be just the guardian of the girl they'd found.

She was about to make her escape from the hospital to go get Saphira, when Eragon walked through the door.

"Hey."

She sighed inwardly but put a smile on her face, offering a polite question.

"Hey, you feel better?"

He had the sling back on his arm and a bandage on his head. He shrugged.

"Eh. You?"

"Somewhat. My face hurts a lot, though."

He sat next to her on the bed and she fought back the urge to shove him on the ground. He studied her face for a moment and then reached a hand over, brushing her bangs from her face. She froze. His touch blanked everything. His eyes connected with hers and she saw surprise in them that he'd done what he did as well. Still, his fingers brushed along her cheek and then he turned her chin, looking at the cut that covered the length of her cheek and ran his thumb along the outside. She shivered. _What the hell_. Finally, to her relief and for some reason, disappointment, he pulled his hand back.

"I need to go pick up my bike. I hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks."

The moment he'd left the room somebody else slipped in. Orik. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"What was all that?" He made his voice high pitched and mimicked her. "_My face hurts a lot, though_!"

She smirked and shoved at him, taking the clothes from his outstretched arms. She went to the bathroom and changed into her black skinny jeans, and a cotton v-neck. As the shirt slid over her head, she looked at herself in the mirror and winced. Her eye was almost swollen shut and bruises covered her face. The cut from Durza's ring looked angry red and much worse than it actually was. The most obnoxious was the cut that split her lip because every word she said stretched it, causing pain. Sighing, she walked out of the bathroom and followed Orik silently away from the hospital to his car. The moment they'd retrieved Arya, Saphira had told them everything, or at least what they thought was everything, and they'd released her. She was waiting in the car and the moment she saw Arya she jumped out.

"Arya! Nice to see you alive again."

"You too."

Saphira frowned.

"You look a little rough, what did that pig do to you?"

Arya shrugged.

"Tried to impress me with how hard his fist could hit my face."

Orik laughed.

"Were you impressed?"

"Not in the least."

They drove for over two hours before they arrived at a private airport. There they transferred to a helicopter and flew for thirty minutes before arriving at Varden Headquarters. She stepped out into the sweltering heat and found Ajihad and Nasuada in front of her, faces worried. Ajihad stepped forward, looking at her injured face.

"Arya, my gosh, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Ajihad, relax."

"What on earth happened out there?"

"It's a long story."

"Let's all move this to my office then."

So they went to his office and for the next thirty minutes, she went over everything that happened. When she got to the part about Eragon, Ajihad's interest peaked,

"How many men?"

"He took down eighteen with single shots."

Ajihad turned to Saphira.

"Can you show us?"

Saphira smirked.

"Of course."

And what would've taken anyone else an hour she finished in seconds. Breaking through F.B.I. firewalls she linked the video and it started to play out on the screen. Ajihad's eyebrows raised as Eragon dropped the empty gun and proceeded to unholster his own, un-silenced one, firing rapidly into the arriving crowd of enemies.

"That boy has skill."

"But he's stupid."

Ajihad looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't come in planning to leave again."

Ajihad frowned.

"His reason?"

"Durza killed his partner."

"And so he thwarted Durza."

There was a look in Ajihad's eyes that made Arya nervous.

"I truly hope you aren't thinking what I think you're thinking."

"I might just be."

"But he's too unstable and unpredictable. How do we know he wont switch sides on us?"

"He hates Durza and he has more than the required skill to join. Why wouldn't you want him here?"

Arya sighed.

"Nevermind. How are we doing this?"

"Does he have any family?"

"No."

"Friends?"

"Not really."

Ajihad smirked.

"Then this will be the easiest transfer. We don't have to come up with any unique way to get him in without telling his family. Fake his death and get him here. We need skill like his."

"Of course."

She left Ajhad's office with a weird feeling in her stomach. As she walked to her room to get some sleep, she had a feeling her life was about to be drastically altered and it might not be for the better.

**Also, this chapter wasn't Beta'd either so. . . . lol, my bad. I tried to read through though.**


	3. Chapter 3

**FtP was forcibly removed but it wasn't by FanFiction. It was by my parents. My other profile explains it. Arya is part of the Elves but like in the books, she is having a disagreement. And it was just a practice sword so no. Also, thank you so much to everyone who has been complementing my writing. You guys are the reason I write at all. So thank you all again so much!**

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

Eragon had gone back to see her that morning but when he'd arrived, she was gone. When he asked the doctor, he'd looked troubled.

"I went to give her a bit more morphine for the pain and she was gone. I'm worried. She had severe injuries and without medication it will be incredibly painful."

He frowned.

"Do you have security cameras?"

The doctor nodded.

"Yes, come this way."

Eragon followed the doctor to a room a ways away and waited while the doctor knocked. A security guard opened the door and Eragon stepped inside, the doctor waved, heading back for his work. As the doctor had said, there was at least a forty minute period in which Arya could've escaped. It didn't take long to find it though. He watched himself step out of her room and walk down the hall. Immediately after, another man entered the room.

He was short and stocky, his beard covering his entire upper chest. Panic shot through Eragon. They'd gotten Arya again and he'd just let them. But his fear abated and confusion replaced it as he watched Arya walk out of the room in different clothing and follow the man out of the hospital. He got a glimpse of a blonde head moving towards them when a car blocked the cameras view. By the time it had passed they were already pulling away. Eragon sighed. _At least she is safe and that lunatic didn't get a hold of her again. _But with his relief, came even more questions. As Eragon walked to his truck, he pondered what the red haired man had said. _You have no clue what's actually going on, do you? _It took ten minutes to get back to his house and in that time he ran through any of the scenarios he could think of. None seemed to fit with who Arya and Saphira were, and why they, if only Saphira, were so important. Parking in his garage he walked into his house, pushing everything to do with it out of his mind. It didn't matter anymore, he'd solved their case. Now he just had to get Reese to take him back on. If it was up to him, he guessed his boss would, but apparently the higher ups were taking this. He ran his hand through his hair and walked into the living room. What he saw made him freeze. Sitting on his couch was the blonde girl from headquaters, Saphira. She was watching t.v. and had a box of Wheat Thins on her lap. When she saw him a smile split her face.

"Eragon! Funny seeing you here." His mouth opened but no words came out. Saphira laughed. "Relax, I'm not here to kill you."

Although confusion reigned his defensive instinct kicked in.

"Not that you could."

Saphira smirked.

"No." She nodded her head to his left. "But she could."

Eragon whirled and standing there, right next to him, was Arya. Even with her face still bruised and swollen, her beauty took his breath away. The emerald of her eyes still shone through and captivated his mind. She was watching him cooly, her face passive. In the hospital she'd looked so wounded and vulnerable and now she looked like she had the emotions of a statue. He stepped away from them both and backed slowly towards the kitchen. Arya's hand went behind her back and quicker than he thought possible, it returned with a gun aimed at his skull.

"Stop."

He froze and played ignorant.

"Stop what?"

"We aren't stupid. You have weapons hidden all over this house. Go sit in the chair."

He frowned.

"No."

Saphira stood, setting her snack down.

"Eragon, you should probably do what she says."

Anger rippled through him. He'd saved Arya's life and she repays him with a gun to his face? He glared at her.

"No."

Arya stepped forward and that's when he took his opening. Or at least what he thought was his opening. Lunging forward, he knocked her gun to the side, trying to subdue her but she retaliated easily. Side stepping she slammed her fist into his gut and spun around him. Her arm came around his neck and she pulled him against her, crushing his windpipe. He fought to breath but at the same time, his attention was split. Her body was pressed up against his and it was distracting him to no end. Finally his desire to breath overcame it and he slammed his elbow back into her side.

She seemed to anticipate it because her hand blocked his arm and then twisted it, shoving it up his back. He fought a grimace and stilled his body as she pushed it higher. Her voice was in his ear the next time she spoke.

"You done?" He sighed and nodded reluctantly, not wanting another broken arm. "Then go sit down."

He did as she asked when her grip loosened. He sat, arm dropping into the cushion, grabbing for something that wasn't there. Saphira laughed.

"You didn't think we'd put you in a seat with a gun hidden in it did you?"

He dropped his head back onto the chair and waited for whatever was coming. Slowly, Arya lowered her weapon and then holstered it somewhere behind her back. He watched her closely, waiting for any sign of attack, but she remained still. Saphira waited a moment and then spoke.

"They were just planning on sending her to get you but I stepped in because, as you can see. . . she's not the greatest people person." He kept his face hard and Saphira smirked at Arya. "See, now you got him all angry and made this so much harder."

Eragon had had enough.

"What is going on."

The blonde looked at Arya, as if saying, "Go ahead, tell him." Arya clasped her hands behind her back.

"Have you ever heard of the Varden?"

Eragon's brow furrowed.

"Yes."

"Well they want your help."

He smirked.

"Come on, lady. Varden might seem more plausible than most, but it's still just a myth created by fanatics and conspiracy theorists. Just like DuWeld and Beor."

Saphira snorted.

"This is going to be so entertaining."

Eragon's mind whirred. _What the hell was going on. _Arya continued.

"I am from DuWeld, Eragon." He started to argue but she cut him off. "It will all be proven in time. I moved from DuWeld to the Varden because of some. . . issues. And now I am the go between for all three agencies. DuWeld, Varden, and yes, Beor. The man that you saw on the tape with me is also a go between from Beor. We're needed because our people don't necessarily get along very well."

Eragon still didn't believe a word but he played along.

"Your people?"

Arya sighed.

"As you've heard, DuWeld and Beor have very different styles and priorities. The DuWeld focus their agents on the training of the mind. The importance of being quick and light on our feet. Our weapon skill is legendary. We carry no more than hand guns and knives. The Beor on the other hand, focus on physical strength and tradition. They carry heavy automatics and bombs do do their work, no matter the mess it leaves behind."

Eragon fought back a smirk. Obviously this lady was deluded.

"And the Varden?"

"The Varden was started by a man named Ajihad because of a number of specific incidents that our government wasn't able to handle. He moved from being the Director of the DOD to the head of the Varden."

"What events?"

Arya shook her head.

"More will be explained when we arrive. Come, pack your things."

Eragon looked at her like she was crazy.

"You have got to be kidding me. You want me to uproot my life because you claim the most ridiculous of stories are real? I don't think so, sweetheart."

Arya took a step towards him threateningly when Eragon's front door exploded in, shards of wood firing in every direction. Something splashed across Eragon's cheek and he shouted as it caused his face to burn painfully. In front of him Arya grabbed Saphira and yanked her behind so she was next to Eragon, who'd just stood up. Something hard and cold was pressed into his hand and he looked down to find his gun. He looked to find that Saphira had slid on brass knuckles with four, four-inch knives coming out like fingers, on both hands. There was a ferocious look to her face as she crouched low, as if about to pounce.

Arya had her gun ready to fire, aimed at the door for some suspected enemy. Suddenly a black figure careened through the entrance faster than something so big should be capable of moving. Arya fired several shots into the body but it kept moving. When it was close enough, Eragon watched in shock as it pulled two black daggers from under his cloak. He was frozen in place, unable to move, but Saphira lunged. Her claw-like weapons slashing at lightening speed, clashing and sparking against the blades of the intruder.

With a quick spin, she deflected an attack with her right, capturing a blade in her claws, and dug her other into the body of the opponent, right through ribs. A screech filled the room that sounded strange in Eragon's ears. Arya shot forward and stopped the dagger that had been about to stab into Saphira, catching the arm and twisting the weapon away. With a swift motion she plunged the dagger into the person's heart. He writhed away, the dagger still in him and backed away. Eragon shook his head in disbelief, about to ask Arya what the hell had just happened, when another smashed through the window behind them and collided heavily with Eragon. Fingers dug into his side with unbelievable strength and he cried out in pain. With great effort, he shoved the man off and rolled to his feet. He stood and readied his weapon.

Looking down, he saw the cloak that had covered the face of the second man was down, revealing a ghastly mask. It was a deep black, the eyes a seemingly one way view. The worst was the violently sharp beak that protruded from his face. The man stood, shoving off his cloak and revealing two swords and almost a dozen knives, along with a row of vials that were filled with an ugly liquid. He pulled a vial from his belt, chucking it at Eragon's face. Just in time he ducked and turned to find that the object, his television, that had been hit, was melting. The man growled angrily and pulled the two swords that were sheathed on his back, brandishing them. Eragon raised his gun and fired at the eyehole of the mask, hitting with perfect precision. It shattered and the man screeched weirdly like the other had, throwing a hand up to his mask.

Arya grabbed Eragon and Saphiras' arms, pulling them roughly out the now broken window into his backyard that was surrounded my woods.

"Stay close!"

With that she took off, Saphira as well. Eragon debated whether to run a different way but decided against it. They might need his help. Or he'd need theirs. He broke into a run, trying to catch up. Pine trees surrounded him in seconds and he stopped, not being able to see Arya or Saphira. Looking around suddenly a blonde head appeared a few yards away.

"Let's go, Eragon!"

He stumbled slightly before righting himself and following the blonde through the forest. They came out to a clearing and he stopped, gasping for air, and dropped to the ground, hands over his head. Next to him Arya and Saphira looked perfectly fine. They were breathing faster than they had been, but they weren't gasping as much as he was. Arya spoke into the concealed mike in her ear.

"We need a transport immediately. The Raz'ac showed up and we were forced to take an alternate route."

He listened as she told them her location, while Saphira went slid her blade hands into leather sheaths that were strapped to her legs. She could just push her hands down to link her fingers into them again. He seriously needed a pair of those. Arya finished speaking and walked over to him.

"Get up, we need to get out of sight."

He pushed himself off of the grass with his good arm while his injured hung loosely by his side, still throbbing. She led them into the dense woods and they sat it the shrubbery for what seemed like hours. Sweat trailed down his back and face Finally he heard the whirring of a helicopter. With how quiet it was, he had expected it to be far away but suddenly he saw the metal hulk lower to the ground. _How do you silence a fricken helicopter?_ Moving quickly, Arya led the way, stepping up in and turning to look out as him and Saphira climbed up behind her. As the coptor lifted from the ground Arya made her way to the front and sat next to the pilot.

Eragon sat down and rested his head against the metal interior, trying to block out the pain from his still searing cheek to the ache in his left shoulder. He felt somebody sit next to him.

"How ya' doing?"

Opening his eyes slightly, he looked at the blonde.

"Wonderful. I love having my entire life ruined. It's awesome."

Saphira smirked.

"Your life isn't ruined. . . yet." She laughed and bumped his good shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be better suited here."

"Says you." He looked out the helicopter and saw smoke. _What the. . . _And then he realized where it was coming from. "Wait! Is that my house?!"  
Saphira looked down, not answering, but Arya turned and looked at him in the back seat.

"We had to make it look like you died."

"What? Why? People think I'm dead?"

"Calm down. Yes, people are going to think you're dead."

"I never agreed to this!"

Arya sighed.

"You don't really have a choice now. We were going to explain it out, see what you said, but we were interrupted. We had to move forward as if you'd said yes."

"But I don't want to join your fantasy world, lady!"

Arya stood angrily and walked back to him. He pressed her finger to his wound, making him wince. She wasn't pressing hard, just enough to make a point.

"Does this look like a fantasy? You getting shot? Garrow dying?"

He bristled and shoved her hand off his shoulder.

"That went with my job. You're bringing in a fictional element for some neurotic reason!"

Arya rolled her eyes.

"Then who were those men that tried to kill us? Part of your job? Those were the Raz'ac, Eragon. Two brothers who volunteered to be subjected to a series of tests that led them to become inhuman. Almost all of their tissues and DNA are gone, replaced by robotic technology far beyond it's time. They were the perfect accident."

Eragon dropped his head into his hands, just wanting to sleep and avoid thinking if only for a bit.

"I don't understand."

Saphira wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"You, will. Trust me, this is going to be the best thing that ever happened to you."

Eragon snorted.

"I highly doubt that."

Arya returned to her seat and for the rest of the trip they all remained silent. At some point, Eragon had drifted off and was only awakened when he felt a slight jolt as the helicopter landed. Saphira smiled at him as she stood and climbed down. He followed only to stop when he saw the group of people standing before him. A dark skinned man stepped forward.

"Eragon Shay, very nice to meet you. I'm glad you agreed to join us."

Eragon held back a snort but couldn't hold in his sarcasm.

"Interesting choice of words."

Ajihad sighed.

"I know you didn't have much of an option in coming but that was by no fault of ours. In fact, if Arya and Saphira hadn't been there, you'd either be in Durza's hands right now, or dead. And the latter is most likely."

Eragon crossed his arms, anger rippling through him.

"Tell me how this is better?"

Ajihad shook his head.

"Death is not something to strive for so young, Eragon. You have so much to live for."

He ignored this, staying silent and keeping his gaze on the man who was obviously in charge. Finally a girl set her hand on Ajihad's arm.

"Father, why don't we take this to your office. It will be much more comfortable."

Agreeing, Ajihad waved for everyone to follow. It was only then that Eragon took in his surroundings. He was on top of a medium sized building that looked like it had seen better days. Bricks were crumbling and trash was collected in the corners. _Great, some psychos are about to have their way with me in a crap hole building. _He walked through a black door with paint flaking off and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Holy . . ."

In front of him was the most incredible interior he'd ever seen. The walls were made of pale white marble. Ingrained in them were lines of gold that created intricate pictures and scenes as you moved along. They depicted scenes of battles and prominent figures in history that Eragon didn't know. From the ceiling hung brilliant lamps that reminded him of medieval times. They were steel lanterns that glowed from the inside a blueish hue. It seemed like fire and yet he knew it wasn't. The floor was made of tiles of jagged marble. They seemed randomly placed but if you looked closely, a pattern emerged and every tile was pointing a single direction.

Instead of continuing down the hall to two huge doors that looked to be of solid gold, Ajihad led the party of people to the left and down another hall. Finally they reached an elevator and Ajihad pushed the button. The doors dinged and they shuffled into the elevator. Eragon watched as the heavy doors closed and Ajihad reached for the floor buttons. Eragon's eyes widened when he saw the amount. The building was only five stories tall and yet the numbers said he was on the thirtieth floor. Ajihad pushed ten and the elevator started to move smoothly. They arrived and as everyone stepped off, Ajihad turned to them.

"Anyone not cleared for Project Dragon, please go about your business. We may continue our discussion later."

Several people nodded and the four stepped back onto the elevator. This level was even more impressive than the first. Walls were made of tiles of colored stone that shone. Gold was the grout that held them together. Ajihad led them to the end of the hall and pushed the door open into a large office. He slowed and Eragon heard a sigh come from him.

"Angela, how on earth did you get in here?"

Eragon peered around the man and saw a lady sitting behind the desk. She grinned at him before addressing Ajihad.

"Oh dear, I must have taken a wrong turn. Too late now. Whose this new one? Eragon, is it?"

Ajihad motioned for Angela to stand up.

"You may stay but I do wish for my chair."

Angela grinned sweetly and stood, moving around the desk.

"Ajihad, don't kid yourself in thinking you can permit me to do anything."

Eragon's eyes widened. This lady sure had balls talking to her boss like that. But instead of getting mad, Ajihad chuckled.

"I could never, Angela." He turned to Eragon and motioned towards one of the two empty chairs in the room. "Please sit."

Eragon did as asked and Saphira sat in the other, slumping and resting her head on the back. Ajihad settled in front of them and looked pointedly at Eragon.

"What questions do you have for us?"

Eragon raised his eyebrows as if Ajihad were stupid.

"Are you serious? I don't get any of this."

Ajihad smiled.

"Fine then. Let's start at the beginning."


	4. Chapter 4

**IMPORTANT:**

**Some people are saying they like one story over the other so I've created a poll on my account for you all. It will decide which story is updated on Fridays and which is updated less often. So if you care about that, it's on my account page at the top of the screen.**

**-A-R-Y-A-**

Eragon waited expectantly, his face showing he still didn't believe any of this. It was frustrating that his pride and ignorance could be so strong. Ajihad went into his explanation, starting from the beginning.

"About twenty-two years ago a top agent from the Department of Defense went AWOL. He'd been acting agitated and frustrated but they'd ignored it because he'd just lost his best friend in the division. They figured it was just the result of his loss. But, a few days after they'd realized this, he disappeared. Several weeks later, there was a major security breach as a weapons hangar was broken into, well exploded into morel like it. Somebody killed four guards and used tear gas to get in and get out with three crates of C4. A few months later, one of the DOD's best hackers disappeared as well. At this point, everything went quiet. There was no more chatter or spottings of the agent or the hacker."

Eragon interrupted.

"Who were these men?"

Ajihad waved off Eragon's questions.

"All in good time. So, they went dark, not making any actions that would put them back in the CIA's sights. Then, seven years ago, a discovery was made by a Russian archeologist when he was digging around in Moscow. He'd hit a solid cement wall where nothing was supposed to be. Drilling through, they found a lab that had been built during the Cold War to make Nuclear weapons. Of course this sent people into a rage, especially here in America, because all the atomic weapons were supposed to have been disabled. Problem was, the Russians were just as stumped."

Eragon snorted.

"Sure they were. There is no way they couldn't have known about that."

"Eragon, the Cold War was a time of espionage and threats. Very creative people came up with drastic ways in which to slip past certain boundaries and laws. It's not too hard to believe that a rogue group could do this. Now, to appease the American's and the other worried countries, Russia asked for their help in studying the lab. What they found shocked everyone. During the Cold War, a rogue organization had been started behind everyone's back. Their extremist leader's goal was to wipe out every other nation. Of course getting materials under the government's nose without them knowing was close to impossible, and so this organization failed. But before they gave up, they'd created three of the most unstable nuclear bombs in the world's history."

Eragon was sitting straighter now but he still looked less than convinced.

"So what exactly does all this have to do with you and everyone else here?"

"Well, those atomic bombs were locked away in a vault by that organization and we can't find it."

Eragon laughed.

"Seriously? Every nation on earth looking for these weapons and no one can find it? That's rather pathetic, isn't it?"

Ajihad sighed.

"You would think. But unknown to the public is that during the cold war, every country had DRAGONs." Eragon rolled his eyes but Ajihad continued. "Digital Reapers Attaining Goods of Other Nations."

"That explanation just made it seem even more stupid. Who on earth came up with that acronym?"

Ajihad shrugged.

"No idea. It's just what they were called. Now, these DRAGONs were some of the most brilliant minds on the planet. Hackers basically. Their goal was to deplete enemy supplies and weaponry by finding their locations and attaining them in some way or another. The organization that created these nuclear weapons had one DRAGON that was above and beyond most others. He used technology way ahead of his time to conceal the vault. We are guessing that if we ever do find the vault, it will be protected in the same way. That is the reason that we, the Varden, the Beor, and DuWeld were created."

"I'm still not seeing the connection."

Arya had had enough.

"Then shut up and listen!"

Eragon looked at her annoyed and slumped in his seat. Ajihad smirked and continued.

"Eragon, the agent who disappeared, along with the hacker, are trying to find it this very moment. We are trying to stop them."

Eragon looked sideways at Arya before talking.

"I have a question if I'm not going to get yelled at."

"Go ahead."

"Why does it matter that he's trying to find them? I mean, who is he? It would be bad for anyone to get their hands on these bombs. Why does one man matter?"

"Because he has made it clear what his purpose is with the weapons. He wants to finish what the organization started. The hacker broke into the system at DOD and then the agent spoke to the director, telling him exactly that."

"What was his purpose for doing so?"

"Fear."

"But it allows us to know his plan and to stop him."

"The problem is, his hacker is one of the best in the world. So far we've been as successful in finding him as we were in finding the vault."

"What's his name?"

"Galbatorix."

"And the hacker's?" Ajihad frowned.

"We don't exactly know. He was top secret and highly classified. I don't think anyone actually knew his real name. We just know his hacker name which was Shruikan."

"Shruikan? interesting name. Does it mean anything?"

"Not to us."

Eragon nodded.

"So now that you've told me this, am I all the sudden supposed to believe it's true? Just like that?"

Before anyone could answer, Angela bustled forward.

"Enough of this for now. Let the boy rest."

Ajihad shook his head.

"The story is not over."

Planting her hands on her hips, Angela stared at Ajihad.

"It is for now."

At that there was a little stare down contest in which Angela won. Ajihad threw up his hands in surrender.

"Fine, fine. I need to speak with Arya and Saphira. Will you show him to his room Angela. I assume you somehow know where it is?"

Angela beamed and turned, her brown curls bobbing.

"Of course! Come Eragon. Follow me."

When they had gone, Arya took the chair Eragon had just vacated. Ajihad's usually calm expression was replaced by exhaustion as he leaned back in his chair.

"So the Raz'ac. . . ."

Arya nodded.

"I think they were sent to get Eragon."

"Kill him?"

Arya shook her head.

"No. Durza mentioned that Eragon would be a good asset to their cause. I think they wanted to break him and force him to work for them."

"It's good you got there when you did then."

"Yes."

Saphira interrupted.

"So now what? We're still no closer to finding Galbatorix and our last lead ran cold."

Ajihad grinned.

"Not exactly. See, we have now found a new lead. With Durza in the picture we can trace him. He might be covering his tracks but I bet his men aren't smart enough to do the same. Saphira, see if you can find anything on where they're located at this moment. We find Durza and we'll be that much closer to finding Galbatorix."

Saphira nodded and pushed herself up, moving towards the door.

"On it."

When she had gone, he turned to Arya.

"And I need you to go find Eragon."

Grimacing, she questioned him.

"Why? He's with Angela right now. As calm as she seems, I think she could defeat Bigfoot in hand to hand combat." Ajihad laughed and turned to his computer.

"Yes, but I need you to train him. You are his handler until he is qualified to be on his own and has accepted what he is."

"What? No way. You're going to have to get somebody else."

"Arya, I know I can't make you do this but you must know you are the only one that is capable. Nobody else is at his skill level."

She sighed and stood as Saphira had.

"Fine. But if he pisses me off I'm dropping him back in your lap to deal with."

"Fair enough. His room is right across the hall from yours."

She had been about to leave but at this she turned around, annoyed.

"Move him."

"Arya-"

"Do it or I'm not training him."

"Arya, be reasonable. The only other place I could put him is four floors from yours. That would be significantly inconvenient when you had to go get him to take him places, seeing how he cannot go anywhere without clearance. Of which he has none."

"How come the room across mine happened to just conveniently free at this time?"

Ajihad grinned.

"Because the agent who lived across from you jumped at the chance to move. It seems that you frighten people."

Rolling her eyes, she shoved out the door and stalked towards the elevator, determined to make the next weeks of Eragon's life a living hell.

She was laying on her bed, about to open her computer, when somebody knocked on her door. Groaning, she pushed herself up and opened it. Before her was Angela, grinning.

"Arya! How are you feeling?"

She breezed past her into her room without waiting for a response. Sighing, Arya closed the door and went to sit down.

"Wonderful Angela. What do you need?"

"Need? Oh I don't need anything."

Arya's eyebrows pinched together.

"Then why are you here?"

Angela propped her feet up on the coffee table, shrugging.

"Oh you know. . . ."

So obviously she wasn't going to get anywhere on this topic. Instead she asked about Eragon.

"How is he adjusting?"

"Oh, well, as best as someone can be that has just lost so much."

"Why is he so against believing in all of this?"

Angela crossed her arms and looked at her pointedly.

"When your entire reality has been upturned, the automatic human reaction is to push back and ignore it. He'll be better soon. For now, let him wallow in his past. With his personality, I think you can expect him to get over it soon, though."

Arya nodded and waited for Angela to continue. When she didn't, Arya pulled her knees up and rested her head on them, preparing for the coming conversation. Angela was intuitive and had a knack for bringing up topics that nobody wanted to talk about.

"Are you going to tell me why you're here or no? I was about to relax a bit and watch some television."

Angela chuckled.

"Relax? Arya? No. You never relax and just take a break. You were about to go over all the information from this case and see if you missed anything."

"Your limitless knowledge is obnoxious."

Angela dropped her feet to the ground and stood with a smile.

"When you begin his training tomorrow, don't give him too much trouble."

Arya frowned.

"How do you know . . . never mind, it would be weirder if you didn't."

With a quick laugh Angela waved and left the room. The moment the door closed Arya had her computer open. To her surprise, the moment she opened the first document a white screen covered everything. _What the hell. . . ._ A moment later two words appeared along with a winky face.

'NICE TRY.'

A text space appeared below and Arya typed back.

'SAPHIRA, UNLOCK MY COMPUTER.'

'NOPE'

'SAPHIRA!'

'HAHAHAHA. ANGELA DID SUCH A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING YOU OFF OF IT FOR A COUPLE MOMENTS. ALLOWING ME TO BASICALLY OVERRIDE EVERY FIREWALL AND COUNTER VIRUSES PUT IN PLACE. VERY HELPFUL.'

So that was the reason for Angela's "random" visit.

'I HAVE WORK TO DO SAPHIRA. FIX MY COMPUTER.'

'NOPE. GO TO SLEEP.'

'IT'S ONLY SEVEN.'

'YEPP. NIGHT'

With that, the screen went blank and no matter what Arya did she couldn't get it back on.

"Dammit!"

She shoved the lap top away from her and dropped back on the bed, knowing that even if she tried, sleep would not come to her. Instead, she rested there and stared at the ceiling, trying to think of nothing at all.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

He woke the next morning disoriented, not knowing where he was, with a loud pounding noise coming from outside a door. Moving too quickly, he almost wiped out on his face as he stumbled from the bed. Righting himself, he hurried to the door and opened it to the stunning face of a beautiful woman in a t-shirt and shorts. It took everything in him to keep his eyes on her own. And then it all clicked into place. The hospital, the fight, the explosion, the explanation. And the annoyance and anger. Immediately he scowled at her.

"What do you want?"

Arya turned.

"Follow me." He snorted and started to close the door but she was quicker. Her hand slammed into the polished wood and pushed it back open. Her eyes were deadly. "Now, Eragon."

"I don't have to listen to you."

She turned and faced him.

"No, but if you ever want to get out of this room you will. You don't even have a clearance level yet so technically, you shouldn't even be allowed in this building. You want some fresh air, you will come with me without question. Understand?"

He glared at her for a moment and then rolled his eyes, slipping his shoes on and stepping into the hallway in the clothes he'd worn the day before.

"Fine, whatever."

He followed her through a dizzying amount of turns before she stopped at a steel door. Pressing her hand to a pad on the wall, it scanned it and flashed a green, ACCESS GRANTED. Eragon stepped into the room behind her and found he was in a large storage area. Arya led him through rows of metal shelves stacked to the ceiling in boxes and crates until she stopped at a section near the back. Opening a box, she pulled out several t-shirts of random colors and thrust them his direction. He caught them and then watched as she opened another and pulled out a few pairs of shorts. She turned and looked at him.

"You will have the opportunity to go and buy your own clothes but for now, you'll have to deal with these."

"Why is there so much in here?"

"This warehouse section is filled with clothes, equipment, and electronics that we use on undercover stings."

"All of these containers?"

"Yes. Now hurry up and change." She pulled out two more boxes. And pointed at the first. "Undergarments." Then at the second. "Sneakers. I'll be outside the door. Once you're changed, just throw what you're wearing in the bin by the door and come out. It will be dealt with." She reached in another crate and pulled out a gym bag. Keep the extras with you because they're all you'll have until you go for more. You can carry them in here."

He nodded.

"Ok but I would like my clothes returned to me. It's all I have left of my old life."

Arya's eyes grew cold.

"Your old life is gone. According to the world, Eragon Shay is dead. The sooner you realize that and move on, the better you'll be."

At that she walked away and left him standing alone. Shaking his head, he turned back to the boxes and started pulling off his shirt, then his jeans. Even though he was by himself, it was still awkward standing naked in the middle of a huge warehouse. Quickly as possible, he pulled up the new boxers and then a pair of red Adidas shorts. Sliding on a black t-shirt that hugged tightly to his body, he tossed the extras into the bag. He pulled ten pairs of socks from the box and slid one on, tucking the others into the corner of the bag. Lastly, he opened the last crate and grinned.

Inside was near a hundred pairs of sneakers ranging from everyday running shoes to the top of the line running shoes. From experience he knew that Mizuno Wave Prophecy shoes were top notch and held up well. Pulling out a pair with dark red and orange coloring he slid them on and zipped up the bag. He picked up the pile of his old clothing but when he reached the bin, he hesitated. He truly didn't want to let go of the only thing that connected him to his past. He almost stashed them inside the bag but then realized that it would seem weak and petty.

So, with great effort, he dropped the bundle into the bin and pushed out into the hall. Arya was waiting for him and the moment she saw him, she started down the hall.

"Let's go."

This time they had barely walked anywhere before she stopped at the doors to the elevator. Once it cleared her, they stepped inside and the doors closed behind them. He was already annoyed, nervous, and just outright confused, and Arya's silence wasn't helping. After several seconds of an awkward silence, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Before them was a young man. Eragon guessed at least 17. Arya took the bag from Eragon's hand and gave it to the teen.

"Take this to his room and leave it on his bed."

The boy nodded, obviously excited to get an assignment. Especially from someone so beautiful.

"Will do."

"Thank you, Ryan."

As they exited, the boy hopped on, pressing the button to their floor. Arya carried on, heading down one hall and then another before stopping at a heavy metal door. On the wall next to it was three different security panels. She pressed her hand to the pad and it cleared. Next she typed in a twelve-digit password. The last one was another pass-code but the labels on the buttons were a language he didn't know. When she'd cleared all three, the foot thick door before them groaned open. Eragon watched in surprise as the last code panel's keys changed into a different order. He frowned.

"What just happened to it?"

Arya continued on without looking back.

"The letters change places every time it's used so as to avoid anyone remembering the placement of the password. That way only those that actually know the code and can use it."

"What language is it?"

This question she didn't answer and so he followed her into the passageway. The moment he was through the door slammed into place behind him and a loud click sounded through the tunnel. It wasn't until now that Eragon realized where he was. The intricate designs and detailed picturing of the walls in the building were not to be found here. He was standing in a narrow tunnel with walls of rock. Bulbs splashed the walls with light and showed them where they were going.

Arya led them around a slight curve and they arrived at another door. This one was rusted and looked like it had been through an avalanche. There was a single four digit code here which Arya typed in quickly. She pushed the door open and started forward but Eragon didn't follow. The space beyond was pitch back and suddenly he was very aware that he was now alone in a place he didn't know with someone who obviously hated him. Slowly, he shifted so he'd be able to react quickly. Without looking, Arya stopped walking and spoke.

"Eragon, come on."

"No."

Sighing, the woman before him turned. Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms when she saw that he was in a defensive stance.

"What are you doing?"

He smirked and backed up slightly.

"I'm not stupid, lady. What did you bring me down here for?"

Arya rolled her eyes and turned away again, starting down the tunnel in the dark.

"No, you're not stupid. But apparently you're delusional. Stop creating enemies out of the people who are trying to help you."

"_They_ might be trying to help me but I know that _you_ don't like me."

"Obviously." She had stopped moving again but Eragon couldn't see her in the dark. "But if I wanted to hurt you or kill you, I would've just let the Raz'ac do it."

Eragon peered into the tunnel, waiting.

"Saphira was there. You wouldn't want to have any witnesses."

When she spoke next she sounded exasperated and angry.

"Fine. Stay in the tunnel by yourself with no way to get out. I don't really care what you do. I was tasked with this job, I didn't choose it."

"What job?"

"Training you."

Eragon laughed.

"Training me? I've mastered both Karate and Judo. Along with Krav Maga. I think I've been trained adequately."

"You might have been trained in them and your technique might even be perfect. But you don't have the speed to go along with that skill. Now, are you going to come with me or not?"

Eragon debated for a moment before making up his mind. It didn't matter what happened to him anyway.

"I can't see where I'm going."

Arya reappeared and grabbed his forearm, pulling him behind her. He had the desire to resist and pull away, but if he did, he'd lose his bearings. And as long as he was aware of her position, she couldn't pull anything on him. At least he hoped she couldn't. They walked through the dark for almost twenty minutes.

"How can you see anything down here?"

"I've memorized every curve and turn of the tunnels surrounding the building. That and I have very good eyesight."

They remained quiet after that and Eragon was beginning to wonder if they'd ever reach their destination when he saw a ray of light ahead. He quickened his pace and pulled his arm from Arya's. They turned around a sharp bend and before them was another, heavily rusted iron gate. This one Arya just pushed flipped a concealed bar up and opened it. The sunlight had blinded him momentarily but his eyes adjusted. What he saw surprised him. They were surrounded by tall trees and thick foliage. Since it was the very beginning of autumn, the trees still held most of their leaves although some were starting to change color. Eragon looked around in wonder.

"Where are we?"

Arya shook her head and changed the subject.

"We are going to first train your mind and body to obey your will."

"How are we supposed to do that?

She grinned.

"By running until I say stop."

He groaned.

"But I'm sore. Can't this just wait till tomorrow or something. I just want to walk around and explore or something. This place is cool."

"No. The way you improve is by pushing yourself when there is nothing left. Going further than the limit your body imposes on you."

He countered.

"If you go further than what you're capable of, it can become dangerous."

Arya nodded.

"But we aren't going to do that. What you think are your limits is not correct. The body is much stronger than your mind allows you to believe. Because of the world we grow up in, our minds are taught to hold back. To do the bare minimum and stop there. Humans today are lazy. Since your brain has been brought up to stay safe in your limits, you are weaker and afraid. You basically need to reprogram yourself. Your mind must become your strength, not feed into your weaknesses. It must strive for you to push your boundaries. You will reach that point over time, depending on your willingness, but until you do, this is going to be the most agonizing work out you've ever done."

Eragon groaned loudly and ran his hand through his hair.

"Awesome."

Arya nodded.

"It is, actually. Once you break your own mind to comply to your will, everything else will become easier. You will know the _actual_ limits of your body, and with that knowledge, you will attain much more."

Eragon shook his head, forcing away the air of gloom hanging around him.

"Alright, let's do this."

Arya nodded.

"Stretch out, you need to be completely loose when we start. And drink that whole bottle of water. There will be more at every two miles as we go."

**Mahavia: **Lmao, well it happened in the book so I'm just going along with that. And it's fun to write in different ways each time :) As for E/A fluffiness, there will always be a little bit but it will be more often as I go on. It has to be a build up so there wont be much at first.

**Dracones: **I probably wont do gadgets and stuff lol. And there was no reason for them to have erased it. The only person who cared enough to check up on her again was Eragon. The FBI were done with the case so there was no point int trying to conceal them. And even if they did run Orik's face or something, it's not like it would be traceable. I guess I could've made it so they erased it but I needed it to happen that way to work with the story and I didn't think it was that big of deal so. . yeah, lol.

**My Generation: **No I've never played Shadowrun haha but I'm not planning on having magic in this. And why no bad ass Saphira? In the series she was a dragon and so I feel like she shouldn't just be a nerd girl. IDK, you all can just tell me what you think in the reviews and if enough people don't like it, I'll just have Saphira be a hacker


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok so An Unwanted Bond won but don't worry for those who wanted this more. I will still update this one almost as often. Also, for Eragon's character, do you guys still want him to sing? There is still going to be a lot of references to music anyways because I love music and it's awesome. But I don't want to repeat myself from FtP. If I put it in this one it would be different songs and stuff so it wouldn't be like boring but it's all up to you readers. I like writing that he can sing but that's just because I think that guys who sing are sexy lol. Let me know.**

His muscles were screaming at him after only five minutes of running. It was his own fault. She'd told him to stretch out completely but he had been constantly distracted by her as she stretched. Seriously, it was like almost impossible not to look at her in those shorts. She had long legs that were toned perfectly. If that wasn't hard enough to ignore, once she'd finished stretching, she had pulled her hair up into a pony, revealing a flawless neck and jaw. Every part of her face from her sharp cheekbones and gorgeous eyes to her curved lips and narrow chin was revealed. A collection of such incredible features was enough to distract any man.

Now though, as his they reached a hill, he wished he'd had the willpower to turn away. Next to him, Arya was steadily jogging next to him. Before they'd started, she had gone over the rules.

"You do not stop unless I say stop. If you try to run off, I have been given permission to take you down in any way I deem fit." He had a feeling she'd deem the most painful way if it came down to it. "Most importantly, do not speak to _anyone. _We might see other joggers on this trail because there are houses located in this area. If somebody stops us to talk or ask a question, our cover is that we're staying in the East Lodge Condo's a few miles away. Right now there is a business team there now working on a merger with another company so we say that we are with them. My name is Lisa, yours is Brian. We are coworkers and are just out for a run. There are actual people with those names on the team and so our story will check out on the surface if there is an inquiry. Got it?"

He had nodded and asked.

"But what if they dig deeper?"

"Then our people will deal with it. Just remember your name and I'll deal with the rest."

"Fine."

They rounded a bend now and Arya picked up the pace. Just like she said, at the two mile mark there was two bottles of water that she grabbed off a rock as they ran by. It was soothing to his somewhat scratchy throat and gave him a little boost. He followed her lead and for the next twenty minutes they ran side by side. After that point, his body started to wear down. His breath came quicker and his muscles tired. He guessed they'd gone about three and three-fourths miles by then. When Arya started jogging faster, he almost fell in the effort it took to quicken his legs. In gasp he questioned her.

"What the hell . . . are . . you doing?"

Her voice was steady when she responded.

"Keep running."

"I could barely . . . hold that pace, . . ..how . . . am I . . . supposed to . . . do this!?"

"The more you talk, the harder this will be."

The next water bottle he drank down helped still, but not nearly as much as the first. He shook his head and they continued for another ten minutes. By then his chest was aching painfully and he had a muscle cramp on his right side. His breaths were now like loud exhales of air and he was pissed off. Arya on the other hand, although breathing quicker, was still fine. When she heightened her speed again, he stayed at his own pace. There was no way he could go that fast. As soon as she realized he hadn't kept with her, she slowed until he caught up.

"Move your ass, Eragon!"

"I can't."

"This is that moment where you need to make a decision. We've barely gone six miles and you are already breaking down. Step it up."

As much as he wanted to stay with her the entire time, to match her step for step, his energy was depleted. When she went back to her fast pace, he followed, gritting his teeth against the pain. But five minutes later, he couldn't take it anymore. Even the water hadn't done anything this time. His lungs were on fire and his stomach was revolting against him. Sweat was pouring down his body and his t-shirt was soaked through. It wasn't like five miles was that much. In fact, he ran it every day at home. The problem was the speed. While he would be happy if he finished the five miles in forty minutes. Right now, they were at forty minutes but they had already hit the six mile mark and passed it. No more. He slowed down, his head resting on his chest because it was too much effort to hold it up. When he came to a stop, he just dropped to the dirt path and lay on his back. He didn't care that the moment his skin touched the ground, the sweat on his arms would cause that dirt to stick to him.

He just needed to stop moving.

"Eragon! Get up!"

She was angry and her voice was getting closer. He ignored her. He couldn't do it anymore. He could barely breath. He didn't think he could lift his arms or legs if he tried. His eyes wouldn't even open. Her shadow blocked the sun that was beating down on him through the trees.

"Get up."

He managed to shake his head.

"Eragon, get up now."

Another shake of his head.

"Eragon!"

"I can't!"

His voice came out in a rasp and he started coughing as he inhaled the dust around him. His mouth was like sandpaper and each cough tore at his throat painfully. There was no noise from Arya for a few moments. He was about to open his eyes to see where she was when he was taken over by another coughing fit. And then there was something cold pressed against his lips and liquid poured down his throat. The relief was instantaneous but then he choked slightly from it. A hand slid around his neck and pulled his head up slightly, making it so he could swallow properly. Within seconds the entire bottle was gone.

His throat yearned for more but at least it wasn't hurting as much now. After a couple minutes he opened his eyes to find Arya sitting next to him, knees up to her chest, waiting patiently. She wasn't looking at him, but off into the distance. She seemed to feel his gaze and looked down. The anger he'd heard in her voice wasn't shown in her eyes as he'd expected. Instead there was a hint of approval. _What? _His confusion was left unsolved when she shifted to her knees and gripped both of his wrists. She helped him stand but when she let go, he almost dropped to the ground again. She caught him around the waist and kept him upright.

He leaned heavily on her as they started walking back. This time though, she turned them onto a less used trail. She didn't talk and as every moment passed he started to realize he had failed. He was ashamed too. Never in his life had he given up on anything. Anger filled him but not at her, at himself. They walked for about fifteen minutes before he felt he could walk by himself. He pulled away from her, not wanting to feel like he needed help just _walking_. He stumbled a couple of times but shook his head every time she offered to help him. They arrived back at the gate twenty minutes later and he looked at her surprised. She smiled slightly, surprising him even more.

"We were running in a circle. There are six shortcuts through the woods if you know what you're doing."

He nodded and started for the entrance when she stopped him.

"Stretch first, Eragon. If you don't you won't even be able to move a finger tomorrow."

With great effort, he lowered himself to the ground. They'd stretched for a couple of minutes when she looked over at him.

"Do you know how far we ran, Eragon?"

Oh, here it was. Now she was going to rip him apart. Why was he so weak?

"Around six miles."

She shook her head.

"Seven and a fourth."

His jaw dropped.

"What? Seriously?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

"But how? The water bottle-"

"I set the water bottles up a little further than I told you I had."

He dropped his knees after stretching his back and leaned against the rock behind him.

"Holy crap." But now he was confused. "I've never ran something even near that before, though."

Arya leaned back against the tree she was by.

"I know. And that made it so your mind knew exactly what it thought you could handle. The reason your body didn't recognized the limit is because your brain didn't think you'd reached it yet. Even then, you went far past what I thought you'd do. If my test had done it's job, you would've stopped when we got a little past the second water bottle. Yet you continued and made it a whole other mile. My question is, how?"

He looked down.

"I don't like feeling weak. I was determined to run until you said stop."

Arya chuckled and stood.

"Well, you proved something to me today."

"What?"

"Eragon, when I saw you for the first time, I saw a angry man who was ready to give up. That left the impression on me that you were weak willed. That when things got hard, you stopped trying. Now, you've proven me wrong. Most people can't do that."

He frowned.

"Then why were you yelling at me?"

She shrugged and stood, walking towards the grate.

"I wanted to see if you could keep going."

He followed her as she stepped inside the tunnel. He linked his hand around her wrist in order to not lose her. They'd walked for a bit when he thought of something.

"How long were you going to keep me going if I hadn't stopped?"

"I could've continued for quite a while."

"But how far do you think?"

"At that pace? I could've continued for miles."

"Seriously? How?"

"I can run ten miles in forty-nine minutes and thirty-seven seconds. What we just did was easy."

At that Eragon stopped walking, causing him to stop Arya as well. If she could see his face right then, she would've seen that his jaw was almost to his chest.

"You're kidding right?"

Arya continued, pulling him behind.

"Why would I be kidding?"

"Because that's like, Impossible."

"Obviously it's not."

"But how?"

"It just is."

He was silent for several minutes.

"How long will it take me to get so I can do that?"

"It all depends on you. Depending on how hard you push yourself, it could be soon or in several months. From what I've seen, it'll be sooner rather than later."

He grinned and they continue the rest of the way in the quiet. Finally thy reached the battered iron door and Arya slid what looked like rock to the side to reveal a panel hidden beneath. Once it opened, light broke through the darkness and she pulled her arm from his hand. They turned the last bend and he stopped short. It was a dead end. Before him was a wall of rock.

He looked to Arya, thinking they'd made a wrong turn, but her face was blank, as if nothing was off. He stepped back slightly, still irrationally nervous that this was some sort of a trap. But again, like last door, she was able to slide part of the rock and reveal the first panel. After completing each one, they'd slide closed and return to looking like a wall of solid rock. She'd put in the last code and the door opened. He followed her to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. He glanced at her.

"So what now?"

A small, almost flash of a grin appeared and went as suddenly.

"You get to eat and rest for about an hour. Then I get to take you to the training room and work you more."

He gaped at her. His body almost dead from exhaustion.

"Are you kidding me!? I can barely lift my foot to put one in front of the other!"

Arya's face showed a hint of amusement

"Which is why this is the best time to do it."

"Do what, exactly?"

"Fight."

He frowned.

"Fight? Fight who?"

She grinned, this time fully and faced him.

"Me."

The doors slid open and she stepped in. After a moment he followed, dread seeping into his bones. That's why she wasn't being cruel at this point. She was planning on taking her dislike out on him. And from the looks of it, she was going to enjoy it. Annoyance flared through him and as the doors opened he stalked out, past the group standing there. It was several moments before he realized Arya hadn't followed. Turning, he saw why.

She was still in the elevator, her amusement wiped completely from her face. Instead there was a severe intensity to her gaze, and right under the surface was a rage that made her already intimidating appearance even more frightening. Her eyes were focused on one person in particular but he couldn't see who it was for the people surrounding them. They were all tall and muscled. At least three of them had tattoos of incredible designs up their arms. One man had tattoos on his neck that stopped just below his hairline. The rest, as there were almost ten people there, were flawless, with no tattoos or any markings.

He made his way back to them, curious as to who could cause that reaction in someone so in control of herself. As he walked around the group, he caught sight of a woman, older than Arya, but with incredibly similar features. Her eyes weren't as bright and alive but he knew that this woman was definitely related to her. He guessed her mother but he decided to keep his silence and wait out the tense moment. Finally, Arya moved. She tore her eyes from the woman before her and met his. Without looking back, she walked to him, gripped his hand, and yanked him behind her.

Eragon turned in time to see a flash of hurt cross the woman's face before it disappeared as she caught him looking. Curiosity took it's place as she looked at his hand interlocked with Arya's, and then back at him.

As Arya pulled him around the corner, he lost sight of the group. She dropped his hand and continued with her fast pace. He followed her quietly for several minutes before he got up his courage to ask what was going on.

"Who was that?"

When she didn't answer for a long while, he figured she wasn't going to. But as they reached a door with engravings that created the picture of a feast with people laughing and eating, she paused before opening it.

"My mother."

And then she was through the door. As he stepped in behind her, the loudness about them surprised him. Until now, everything here had been so serene and silent. As he looked around at the hundreds of faces all sitting at tables and talking merrily, everything started to feel so real. Everything hit him at one moment. What had happened to him wasn't some prank or a delusion by a group of insane people. What Ajihad said, this whole place, it was true. Dazed, he followed Arya past rows of tables and jabbering people until she reached a line that stretched the length of the wall and part of the next.

Things spun around him as he processed it all. Garrow was dead. He got fired. Crazy people had come to kill him. This chick next to him had blown up everything he owned. His entire existence was being replaced by this life he didn't know. By people he'd never met.

"Eragon?" A hand gripped his arm and his eyes shot up to see Arya looking at him with worry on her face. "What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath he shook his head.

"Nothing. I. . ." His mind started to clear and he blinked a few times. "Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes and dropped her hand back to her side.

"You sure?"

His past was gone. He could be anybody he wanted. He smiled.

"Perfect."

Arya raised her eyebrows and watched him a few seconds before shrugging and turning back to the line. He looked around with new eyes, what was once a reminder of his loss, now a chance to make better his future. Then he realized what it all looked like. Frowning, he glanced back at Arya.

"I feel like I'm in a school cafeteria."

She nodded.

"But the food is much better."

He laughed and crossed his arms.

"It's weird trying to picture you behind as desk listening dutifully to the teacher as he teaches you about your ABCs."

Before she answered somebody else behind them chuckled and spoke up.

"It is isn't it? I bet she was one of those rebel kids who threw things at the teacher when he wasn't looking and blamed it on some poor boy trying to take notes."

Eragon smiled and turned around to face Saphira. She was grinning, her blond hair in a messy bun and she was wearing baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt. It looked like she had just woken up. She grinned at him. "Sup."

He snorted and looked to find that even Arya seemed slightly amused although she came to her own defense.

"I was home schooled until middle school and then my mom sent me to a private school. And I always paid attention."

At that he spoke without thinking.

"I bet you looked good in a uniform."

Immediately her amusement disappeared to be replaced by annoyance. Saphira on the other hand was standing there with her eyes wide. And then she started cracking up. After several moments she shoved his shoulder and then looked at Arya.

"I like this guy. He's not afraid of you like everyone else here." Arya turned away, her face blank and Saphira stepped up next to him and linked her arm through his. "You're gonna' have to help me get her to loosen up. She's always such a tight ass about _everything._"

He smirked.

"I've noticed."

It took fifteen minutes to get to where Eragon could see the food and his stomach was rumbling like crazy. When they got up there he grabbed one of the plates stacked by a stone counter and moved forward to find food of all kinds spread before him. He grabbed one thing after another until his plate was basically piled with wings and fries. Behind him Saphira laughed and he turned to find her getting the same thing. She nodded at Arya who was over by the drinks several yards away.

"She's a vegetarian. I think it's crazy but almost everybody from DuWeld are."

He looked at her questioningly.

"DuWeld? She doesn't work here?"

Saphira waved away his question.

"She does. She just started at DuWeld. A huge showdown between her and her mom and she packed up and moved here. They haven't talked since."

Surprise flitted through him and he turned to her.

"But her mom is here. We saw her just before we walked in here."

Saphira's eyebrows rose up and her gaze shot to Arya. She moved closer and whispered quietly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Like dead positive?"

"Yeah. She said so herself."

"What happened?!"

Although still quiet, her voice was excited.

"I don't know exactly. They just kind of stared at each other, well Arya was glaring, and then she just walked towards me and pulled me around the corner."

"Damn. That's crazy. Islanzadi has been trying to speak with Arya for months but Arya always refused to pick up the phone. I never thought she'd come all the way from Europe."

"DuWeld is in Europe? Wait, is that where we are?"

Saphira smirked and looked at him knowingly.

"I'm not giving away our position but I can tell you that DuWeld is in fact in Europe."

Rolling his eyes, he looked back to Arya.

"So how do you think she's handling it?"

Saphira shrugged.

"No one can tell with her. She doesn't talk about it and we don't ask."

"But you two seem close. Can't you tell by just looking?"

Saphira laughed and started towards Arya.

"The moment somebody can look at her and tell what the hell she'd thinking or feeling, I'll give them a million dollars. Eragon, look at her. Do you really think with her skills of deception and her total lack of emotions when she choses that I could ever tell what was going on in her head?"

He fell in step next to her.

"I guess not."

They grabbed drinks and followed Arya a few feet behind as she led them to a table less crowded than the others. He'd just set down his plate when somebody appeared at his left. He turned to find the guy who'd gotten Arya from the hospital standing there with his hand out, a grin on his face.

"Hey bro, you're Eragon right?"

Nodding, Eragon shook his hand.

"You are?"

"Orik. It's good to meet the man who saved the lives of two of our own. Thank you for that."

Cheeks reddening slightly, Eragon sat down.

"I didn't actually do much besides run in guns blazing. And then the very next day they saved my life so. . . ."

Orik grinned and dropped down in the seat next to him.

"Still."

As Eragon dug into the food before him, he listened to the conversations going on around him and if asked, pitched in his own response. He hoped they'd forget he was there and start talking about what was going on but none did. He'd just finished his last wing when Saphira looked past him at somebody walking by.

"Brom! Come meet the new recruit!"

Eragon turned and met the eyes of a rugged man with silver hair and blue, lively eyes. A flash of surprise and then something clattered as the man dropped his tray on the tiled floor. Immediately Brom bent down and started to pick up his scattered silverware and he used a napkin to mop up the water that had spilled everywhere. When he stood the look was gone from his eyes and in their place was a blankness to rival Arya's. He smiled and shrugged.

"Sorry, I lost my grip. It's nice to meet you, Eragon. I would stay and talk but I have a lesson to teach in a few minutes."

He walked away and Eragon looked around him to find that the other's gazes were still on the older man. Their expressions were confused. The first to look back was Arya, and she looked directly at him. Her face was relatively blank but intrigue lay under the surface. He frowned but didn't think much else of it because just then Arya stood.

"Alright, time to get training."

The others laughed when he groaned and stood, letting Arya lead him to drop his plate off and out the door.

**My Generation: **I'll keep her as a nerd I think. But like **Jammy Dodger **said, I might bring a bad ass side out when necessary or something lol. And I get what you mean about a superhuman character type so I'm going to avoid doing that.

**Ok, now I have a question for you all. I love writing stories and stuff and it's super easy for me. But when I am assigned an essay I fricken dread it. They aren't hard and I just got a B on a paper that I spent less that two hours on (although we were given like four weeks lmao) but I hated writing it, it was lame, and I really just didn't care enough to try hard. Do any of you writers, or non writers, it doesn't matter, have some solution for this? I just have issues with structured writing because it lacks imagination and it's sooooo boring to write.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Before you read, go watch the Tempest Freerunning Academy- Gym Video. You'll understand why in a sec. Just imagine this place as half of a room I write about in a bit and the other half, go watch Damien Walters 2011 Official Showreel. The other half is a little like that gym lol. I had my own idea for the room but it would be super difficult to explain from my own words lol.**

He trailed behind her as she led him through the huge building. They went up a floor and then down several halls until Arya stopped at a set of double doors. Pushing them open revealed a huge area filled with workout equipment and open spaces with mats covering the floors. On them were other agents. Some sparring, some working out, others seemed to be trainers. Instead of staying in there, Arya walked swiftly to one door of several that lined the walls of the gym. Opening it Eragon saw a much smaller room with a mat and weights, along with a few machines. On the far wall, there was a line of mirrors that covered it from floor to ceiling. She closed the door behind them and stepped onto the mats.

"Ok, stretch out for a few minutes and listen up." He sat down on the mat, trying to get in as much rest as he could before she did whatever horrid thing she had planned. "Basically, in here you are going to sharpen every single skill and technique you have. As well as gain some new ones. We are going to build you up to your highest point. Now stretch, you'll have time to rest tonight when you go to sleep."

He did for the next fifteen minutes, taking his time. When he finally stood, Arya followed. He bounced a few times on his toes and rolled his shoulders.

"So what are we doing?"

"We are seeing what your skill level is right now."

He grinned.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"That's hilarious. Come on, let's go."

He cocked his head and gave her a coy smile. And then he struck. Fast as he could, he swung his fist, aiming at her head. She seemed surprised and stumbled backwards, barely blocking his punch. Trying to keep her off-balance, he stepped forward and struck again, this time at her stomach. As she blocked, he pulled back and reversed, spinning and bringing his foot around. She ducked just in time. When she rose back up her eyes were nervous. He smirked and steadied himself, studying her guard. She expected him to go for her upper body and so with his next attack, he swung at her legs and she jumped back.

_Why had he been so freaked out?_ He obviously had the better technique and with all her talk about his mind limiting his ability, he was sure quicker too. To prove his point, he decided it was time to take her down. He went at her, one-two, uppercut. She played right into his hands. Sticking out her left arm to block his right put her in perfect position for a takedown. He latched onto her wrist and turned, his right arm resting on her shoulder and he pulled. Just before he lost eye contact, he saw something that turned him cold. Her eyes were triumphant, expecting. And she was grinning.

As she flipped, she locked her ankle around his and gripped his left arm, pulling him down. He lost his momentum and control and she dropped easily onto her back while slamming him face first into the mat. Immediately she rolled over and pinned him, arm up and behind his back in an excruciating position. He groaned and tapped quickly, needing her to release his arm. She didn't. Instead, she leaned down, her hair brushing along his arm, and spoke in his ear.

"Being ignorant of your opponent's skill is a common occurrence in the field. You do not know of what they are capable, and so judging them in the first few attacks is your death sentence. If I had pulled you down any differently, I would've snapped your neck. Always overestimate your opponent so that no matter what, you are not surprised. Because even a weak fighter could defeat a stronger if the more advanced fighter is a fool."

With that she dropped his arm to the mat and stood. His socket between his shoulder and arm pinched tightly and he winced. It took a second for him to stand. When he did, she was already ready, waiting for him to attack. He watched her, annoyance flaring through his veins. The moment he attacked, his right fist heading for her jaw, she ducked and moved forward. Using his momentum and wrapping her right arm around his left thigh, she lifted him and slammed him back to the ground. Instead of pinning him, she stood and backed away, giving him room to get up.

"Don't attack out of anger. I know they taught you that so stop being stupid. Stand up."

They continued for the next hour and a half with her bringing him down at almost every attack.

A thump resounded throughout the empty gym as his back slammed into the mat. Groaning, he laid there for several moments trying to catch his breath.

"Let's go Eragon."

"Just give me a minute."

Her foot tapped his side.

"Now."

Rolling his eyes, he pushed himself up

"What's the point of this? To try and embarrass me? It's worked. You've done what you strived for. Can I go?"

Arya crossed her arms.

"Stop being so immature. Not everyone is as petty as you." She walked off of the mat and put on training gloves. When she returned, she held up her hands. "Left, right, left, right hook."

He raised his eyebrows.

"The basics? I know I'm not that bad."

Arya shook her head.

"You aren't bad. But as your endurance and abilaties increase and expand, the rest of your body will need to relearn everything. Muscles will need to be reprogrammed. You need to incorporate everything into one and so the result is total."

"Fine."

They spent almost forty-five minutes on it. Her changing the patterns and telling him to move faster. By the time she stopped him, his arms were about to fall off.

"Take a five minute break and stay here. I'll be right back."

**-A-R-Y-A-**

Walking quickly, she left the room and walked across the gym. She'd almost reached her destination when Orik stopped her.

"Hey, how goes the massacre?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I'm going to the Tumble room to clear it out. As annoying as he is, I wouldn't want to subject him to falling flat on his face several times in front of thirty other people."

Orik feigned shock, holding his hands over his chest.

"Oh my gosh! You do have a heart!"

Behind her, a Saphira laughed, seemingly coming from nowhere.

"False, she just doesn't want people to know that she doesn't. I want to come see this by the way."

Orik grinned.

"Same. We'll clear everyone out, you just go get Eragon."

"Fine, whatever." Turing back, she returned and opened the door to the small room. "Eragon, let's go."

He looked up from where he was sprawled out on the mats.

"Where?"

"Just get up and follow me." He glared at her and sat up, obviously tired. As she turned, she heard him mimic what she'd just said in a childish voice under his breath. She spoke without looking back. "Grow up, Eragon."

Leading him through the huge gym, they arrived at the Tumble room just as a class was leaving. Orik and Saphira were waiting inside. She looked back as Eragon stepped in. His eyes were wide as he took in the array of obstacles set up to look like unkempt buildings with beams and brick walls and jungle gym bars along with ramps all connected on one side. While on the other, it was all springs and foam pits and huge, colorful blocks to run up and jump from.

"What the hell is this place?"

Saphira bounced on the floor that was made like the ones for gymnastics and chuckled.

"It's the Tumble room!"

With that she took off towards training side with the soft blocks and headed for a wall that was also covered in the same springy material as the floor. Running up it, she flipped backwards and fell feet first into a pile of foam cubes. Eragon's mouth dropped.

"Holy crap Saphira how'd you do that?"

The blonde climbed out of the foam pit and pointed at Arya.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet. Just wait till she shows you what she can do."

Eragon looked at her and waited expectantly. She shook her head.

"Not now. Come on." She led them to a space where there was nothing but open floor. "Roll."

Eragon frowned.

"What?"

She motioned towards the area.

"Roll."

"Why?"

Arya opened her mouth to speak but Saphira interrupted her.

"Just do it, Eragon. If you don't, she'll get all grumpy and make you try something you're not ready for."

Arya shook her head.

"I didn't do that on purpose, Saphira. You could've easily made that flip if you hadn't been throwing a fit."

Orik laughed.

"I would back you up Arya, but I feel like you probably did what she is syaing. Remember when you tried to get me to do this crap? You said, 'don't worry, it's safe, just run at the wall and don't stop.'"

Arya rolled her eyes.

"Well I didn't think you'd take it literally."

Saphira burst into laughter and through gasps, tried to tell Eragon the story.

"It was . . . so . . funny! He just. . . ran straight. . into the wall. . . full . . force, . .and fell on . . . . . his ass! Such an . . .idiot"

By the time she finished she was howling with laughter and Eragon was about to fall over from it. Orik was glaring at them and crossing his bulky arms making it hard for Arya not to smile. She waited for Saphira and Eragon to quiet before continuing.

"Eragon, just roll."

Steadying himself, Eragon placed his head on the ground and did a child roll, succeeding in causing Saphira to burst back into laughter. Orik joined this time. Arya shook her head.

"Do it right, Eragon."

He was laughing too and he just looked at her.

"You first."

She'd had enough. When she spoke next, he voice was hard, cold.

"Now, Eragon."

Saphira stopped laughing and frowned while Orik just stepped back a few paces. Eragon narrowed his eyes and then shrugged.

"Fine."

Turning, he took a few quick steps jumping and rolling and then returning to a standing position. She nodded and walked a few yards away to grab four foot hight block and pulled it over.

"Now jump off of this."

Eragon climbed up and jumped off. Even before he sprang, she knew he wasn't actually going to jump correctly. He basically just hopped down. That's why, as he was still in the air, she stepped forward and shoved his shoulder. It resulted in him dropping wrong on his feet and stumbling to the ground. He stood up and whirled around, anger in his eyes.

"What the hell was that!"

"Do it right."

He glared at her as he climbed back up. This time, when he jumped, he jumped as far and high as he could go. When he landed he looked at her,

"Good enough?"

"No but at least you tried. Now get back up and stay there." He did as she said and waited. "Ok, when you land, you want to land on the balls of your feet. I shouldn't hear anything but a small tap as your feet hit the floor. When you jump, bring your knees up and keep your back arched and you chest up. When you land, you're basically going into a squat. Your arms should move with your body as well, not against it. As you jump forward, your arms need to swing forward as well. Try again."

Eragon shifted his feet slightly and jumped. He looked over.

"How was that?"

"Better. Do it again." He did. "Again." He jumped again. After several more she told him to stay on the ground. "Now do your roll again." He did it as he had before. She shook her head. "You have the basic form down. But your head isn't tucked under. You are rolling from your right shoulder to your left hip which is fine, but that lead arm shouldn't take any weight. Your momentum should carry you forward. Try it again."

After several times, when she knew he'd gotten it down, she told him to go back onto the block. He looked down at her.

"Am I adding the roll with it?"

She nodded and he looked back. Taking a few breaths, he jumped did an almost perfect landing roll. Saphira clapped.

"Damn boy, that was fast."

Eragon stood up and grinned. Trying to keep him focused, Arya told him to do it again. He repeated the process for an hour before she nodded.

"Ok, that's good for today. I need to speak with Ajihad so Saphira can show you back to your room."

He nodded and she headed for the exit.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

As soon as the door closed behind Arya, Saphira grabbed Eragon's arm and pulled him towards the foam pit.

"There's still a few minutes before the next class starts! Let's see what you can do!"

Orik laughed and stood next to Saphira as Eragon bounced on his feet. He ran at the pit and leaped into the air, body twisting as he jumped. He landed on his back in the foam. Saphira flipped and landed feet first right next to him. Eragon looked to Orik who just shook his head and snorted.

"Yeah right. We Beor people just aren't trained like this. There's no need to twirl around in the air like a ballerina when you can just break the enemie's neck to escape. This stuff is useless."

Saphira rolled her eyes and climbed out of the pit.

"Whatever, Orik. You just don't like it because you're so bad at it."

Orik looked offended and he motioned to himself.

"It's not my fault my body is built for power and strength. If I looked like a twig, maybe I could do it."

Saphira shook her head.

"Don't let anyone here hear you say that. Especially Arya. She could rip you to shreds and she's not even all big and bulky like you."

Orik agreed grudgingly.

"That's because that woman is a crazy ass Mo Fo with skills and strength that I've never seen the likes of."

Saphira nodded.

"Very true but I think that most people from DuWeld could give you a run for your money." She looked to Eragon. "Come on, let's get you to your room. You can rest for a bit before dinner."

Eragon climbed out of the foam pit and followed Saphira through the dizzying halls and up the elevator. They'd turned the corner to his room when he saw the woman he'd seen earlier as he and Arya exited the elevator. She was standing in front of Arya's door and knocking. Hearing them, she turned. She smiled at Saphira and when her gaze shifted to him, her eyes became curious.

"I know of Saphira because I keep tabs on this place, but I've never even come across your file. . ."

Saphira answered for him.

"He just got here yesterday, actually. It's good to finally meet you, Islanzadi."

The woman nodded.

"So are you good friends with Arya?"

Saphira nodded.

"Yes."

"And yet you could never seem to find her when I called?"

Saphira didn't falter.

"Like I said, we're friends. I do what is best for her."

Eragon felt the need to apologize to Arya's mother for the comment but the woman just smiled.

"I'm glad she has you. You don't seem like you get pushed around much."

Saphira shrugged, not agreeing but not disagreeing either. Islanzadi looked at Eragon.

"Are you friends with my daughter?"

He wasn't as confident as Saphira. The Varden didn't require his skills to accomplish their goal like they did Saphira's. He was disposable and he had a feeling this woman could easily dispose of him. He shook his head.

"No, she's my trainer. I just met her like, three days ago."

Islanzadi studied him a moment and then motioned to Arya's door.

"Are you here to get Arya?"

Saphira shook her head.

"No, I had to show Eragon how to get to his room."

Islanzadi's eyebrows raised.

"Aaah. . . . So do either of you know where Arya is?" Saphira shrugged, not answering and Eragon looked down. "Ok, well I can just wait here and speak to Eragon while I wait for her to return. I can get to know you and your history."

Islanzadi smiled cunningly and his heart dropped. He just wanted to go inside and lay down for a couple hours. Instead, he was going to be used as a means to get Arya to visit her mother. Saphira grinned.

"Perfect! I'm not sure how long it'll be though."

The woman smiled.

"That's fine. I'm sure he'll have a lot to tell me about how he wound up here."

Saphira nodded.

"Alright, see you both at dinner."

As she went past him, she mouthed the words, 'sorry' and looked like she truly did feel bad. Islanzadi leaned against the door to Arya's room as Eragon stood there awkwardly.

"So, how did you end up at Varden?"

Relenting to the fact that there was really no way out, Eragon went into the story of the past few days. He moved quickly over Garrow's death and some parts like him running into a building like a suicidal maniac he left out completely. When he told her about how he met Arya, she seemed to cringe at what Durza had done. She shifted against the wall.

"That explains the bruises and cuts she has. What happened when you left the building?"

Eragon shifted uncomfortably.

"I got fired."

Islanzadi didn't seem surprised.

"And why was that?"

Eragon opened his mouth and then closed it. She'd backed him into a corner. There really wasn't a way for him to explain it without telling her that he'd basically tried to go in and kill as many people as he could before he died. Before he said anything though, Arya's mother spoke.

"Because you risked your life and the lives of others by trying to take vengeance." He just stared at her and she shrugged. "I can read in between the lines."

"Yeah. . ."

**-A-R-Y-A-**

"So you think he's ready to have a security clearance here?"

Arya nodded.

"He was gripping the past so tightly at first, but today, he finally accepted what had happened. I don't think he should have a full pass, but one that allows him to get to the Gym, the cafe, and the game room without having an escort."

Ajihad frowned.

"And you're not just saying this so you don't have to spend as much time with him?"

She rolled her eyes.

"No, Ajihad. I just believe he can handle it all now."

He watched her carefully and then nodded, reaching into a drawer of his desk and pulling out a card on a lanyard.

"Here, it's old-fashioned but Saphira can easily program it to only allow him into specific areas. He might also need a guide of how to get around this place so give him a map or something."

Arya nodded and stood, making her way to the door. When she opened it, Saphira stepped in front of her.

"Um, your mom is kind of holding Eragon hostage right now."

Her veins went ice cold.

"What?"

"She is making Eragon talk to her until you come up."

Groaning, Arya went back into Ajihad's office and turned his computer away from him. He frowned.

"What are you doing?"

Ignoring his question, she signed into the security system and opened the video of her floor. Saphira hadn't been kidding. Her mom was standing casually by her door while Eragon shifted from foot to foot looking like he was going to pass out from exhaustion. Ajihad chuckled.

"Looks like he's taking a bullet for you."

She glared at him.

"You know, you could've told me she was coming."

Ajihad held up his hands in surrender.

"I didn't even know she was coming until she was outside our door. Maybe if you'd talked to her over the phone, she wouldn't have come _all_ the way out here to talk to you."

Shaking her head, she looked back to the screen.

"I guess I have to talk to her now, though."

Saphira stepped around and rewound it.

"Let's see what he's said before we do. You don't want to get blindsided by anything."

The next ten minutes Saphira played the video through at two times speed so they could still understand what was being said but it wouldn't take quite as long. They stopped when Islanzadi started talking about Varden training and Saphira followed her out of the room towards the elevator. She'd expected Eragon to try and get her in as much trouble as possible but as he'd told the story, he'd lessened everything to make it seem as if it wasn't a big deal.

He didn't say anything that would cause more questions, and he especially didn't say anything about the awkward hospital moment. She still didn't understand what had happened there and she didn't want to try and explain it. Still, she was incredibly grateful for what he was doing. It took five more minutes for them to reach her floor and then she stopped and took a deep breath. Saphira looked over worried.

"You ok?"

Exhaling, she nodded.

"Yes, but I should probably just go alone. Go on and rest."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Saphira gave her a reassuring look before stepping back onto the elevator. At the same time, Arya squared her shoulders and prepared to meet the woman who she'd been avoiding for so long. This was bound to happen sooner or later. Why not now?

**Ok, so I've been realizing lately that I am supposed to do several drafts of my work before turning it in. It seems to make everything a lot better lol. Maybe that's why most people take FOREVER to update on FF. The reason I update fast is because I write one draft and I'm done. I edit a bit and send it to somebody (Elemental Dragon Slayer) to review it and tell me if it's likable, then I send it to my Beta (RaphaelOfTheDarkness), and then I put it up. My question is, are you guys fine with the way everything is or do you want me to rewrite a few times. I could make everything better sounding and just cleaner and stuff if you guys want. The problem is, it might take a little longer to get things up. . . . **

**Silverwing: **Martial Arts. And it'll be explained later in the story.

**Elemental Dragon Slayer: **Yeah I ALWAYS have music on when I'm writing. It helps me focus.

**Harry Potter's Dragon: **Lol I totally would but it's a research paper so it wouldn't work.

**DrToffeeNipples: **Lmao ok I just have to give you props for your name. That's epic. And I have the same thing. If I HAVE to get something done, it's easier for me to keep focused. I do a lot of things last minute lol. I wrote my best essay at four in the morning the night before it was due haha.

**Microbat98: **Yeah I know I do with those words. Most of the time I try really hard to change all repetitive words out but there isn't much I can do with those. They just don't have many synonyms. At least not ones that I'd be willing to use. Unless it's a special situation, I am NEVER going to use the word "giggle". And "chortle" makes me cringe. And is it cheesy? I try not to be cheesy but maybe I'm not doing as well as I thought lol.

**Renessaincbooklover108: **I would do those if I wasn't such an impatient person lol. It would probably help but I'm too lazy to take the time to do it :)

**Dracones: **Lol yeah I do have to do that but even when I sit down to write, a lot of times I'm also playing X-box or watching a show. I like switch in between and stuff lmao because I get too bored and so it takes a while to write essays. I procrastinate too.

**Avatarlover: **Lol that was a great scene. Joss Whedon is an incredible writer lol. That entire movie was epic. And there aren't really ambassadors, she left for a different reason that I will reveal later on. And I haven't been reading any FF recently because when I do, I usually get annoyed haha. People will start stories and then not update them and I'm just like, ". . . . . . . hellooooo?" so yeah, I got nothin.

**JJ: **Lol he's going to have past girlfriends but idk if it'll be Trianna. Although I could have them out on a mission and he like runs into her. So maybe I could make her his ex- girlfriend. She could be all stalkerish lol.

**TheMoonFlower318: **I totally get what you're saying. And It's true, things are incredibly hard to start lol. Once I do get started through, I can usually do it, even if I take little breaks in between :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry about the wait. I had a crap ton of stuff to do. Btw, if I put something up here, from now on, it's just going to be important stuff. I wont ramble on about random things in my life. And some of you already might, but for those of you don't read these, please start. This is where I will say if I'm going to be skipping a week or something like that. **

She turned the corner and immediately her mother looked over.

"Ah, Arya. There you are. Eragon was just detailing me on his history and his first meeting with you."

She fought the desire to roll her eyes. This was her mother. Always the manipulator. _She thinks that I might give away something because she believes I don't know what they've been talking about. Too bad I do. _She glanced at Eragon who was glaring at her and then back to her mother.

"I'm sure that was an entertaining story."

"Very."

She walked to the door and opened it, motioning her mother inside.

"Let's let Eragon get some sleep. I assume you'd like to talk to me anyway."

Her mother smiled and nodded at Eragon before stepping inside. Arya followed and closed the door behind her.

"What do you want?"

Immediately Islanzadi turned and her amused and lighthearted smile was gone. In its place was anger and . . . Arya could almost see remorse. Almost.

"How could you betray your people like this?"

Arya rolled her eyes and walked past to sit in the chair at the far side of the room.

"Don't be so dramatic, mother. I left because of you, not to betray my friends. And working for the same side in a different location is not called betrayal, its called relocation. I chose a different path for myself because DuWeld wasn't the right fit."

"We had one argument Arya. And you disappear for so long of a time without speaking to me. I respected your space believing you would come to your senses and grow up. Apparently that's not going to happen." Shaking her head, Arya propped her feet on the desk before her. Immediately Islanzadi knocked them off. "What have you lost all sense of respect here as well?"

"Mother, you seem to be losing your memory. It was not one argument that made me feel the need to leave, it was your controlling and ridiculous rules. Your stupid ideology that we were all somehow so much better than everyone else and that there was no reason to help with the Varden's fight. It was foolish and I was tired of being led my a fool." Islanzadi moved quickly, her hand striking at Arya, who, with a smile, pushed it aside. "Losing our touch are we, mother?"

Fury radiated behind her mother's eyes as she stared at her.

"How dare you. Insolent child. You will learn your place."

Standing, Arya walked to the door and opened it, holding out her hand to show her mother out.

"Too bad I'm an adult. You have no authority here. In fact, here, I have higher ranking than you. So if you don't mind," Wiping any hint of a smile from her face, she spoke emotionlessly. "Get out."

Islanzadi watched her for a moment before straightening her shoulders and striding briskly past. Slamming the door, Arya went back to her bed and sat back against the headboard. The fact that her mother was here meant that she wasn't going to be leaving without what she came to get. Which was her. As she knew she wouldn't be going back, it was clear that other arrangements were going to need to be to get it out of her mind for a moment, she closed her eyes and forced all thoughts from her head.

She awoke the next morning and winced. Her neck was sore because she'd fallen asleep in an awkward position. Standing, she showered and changed into sweats and a a plain white v-neck before sliding on her black DC Spartan WC TX high tops and opening the hall door. She paused at Eragon's door. She could let him sleep before he had to get back up and tire himself out all over again. But then he wouldn't get to eat anything until lunch.

Making up her mind, she knocked loudly several times. It took longer than it should've and she was just about to knock again when the door opened. Eragon was leaning heavily against the door jamb and looked like he could barely keep his eyes open.

"What?"

His voice was deep and for some reason it sent chills down her spine. She frowned and shifted uncomfortably.

"Breakfast. Get dressed."

"I don't want breakfast."

Again, his voice moved her. She grew annoyed. As he made to close the door but she stopped him, pushing it back open.

"Get dressed and get out here. You need breakfast or you're going to pass out later."

He groaned and pushed off of the wall.

"Fine, give me a sec."

She nodded and closed the door, shutting him away from her. She had no clue what had just happened and she wasn't looking into it. It took him several minutes before he opened the door and stepped out in shorts and a gray t-shirt with a black light jacket over it. She pulled out the key Ajihad had programmed and handed it to him.

"This is for the elevator door, the door to the training area, and the the cafeteria. It wont work for anything else so don't try."

"Got it. Thanks."

She paused and then looked at him.

"And thank you for not trying to piss off my mom. I expected you to spin some tales in revenge."

He grinned.

"I almost did but then I realized that you were in charge of my workouts and figured I better not get you mad at me."

She noticed him limp slightly before correcting himself and smirked.

"Sore?"

"That's an understatement. My body has never been this exhausted."

"Get used to it for the next few weeks because you're going to feel like that every day."

"Awesome."

By the time they reached the elevator, he was grumbling continuously about his muscles. When they reached the cafeteria, she pushed him into the path of an oncoming group of people and the only way for him to avoid hitting them was to jump out of the way quickly. He tripped slightly and groaned loudly.

"What the hell?"

She just continued on.

"Stop complaining and suck it up."

At this time in the morning there was a lot less people there and so getting their food was a breeze. Saphira was already sitting at a table with her lap top in front of her. They joined her after they got their food. Eragon sat across from Saphira and grinned.

"Sup loser."

Saphira smirked and closed her computer.

"I really don't think you're in any place to call me a loser. I'm not the one whose about to go and die of exhaustion and aching muscles so shut your face."

He rolled his neck and chuckled.

"You're definitely right about the muscles. I feel like my body is being burned from the inside with molten lava."

"Sucks to suck."

He stuck his tongue out at Saphira and then looked at Arya.

"Why aren't you dressed to workout?"

She picked at her toast and tried to keep from shifting her neck in any way that would cause it to pinch painfully.

"Because I'm not working out. We are staying inside today. You are going to focus on sprints and lifting. More free running and parkour today as well."

He looked at her like she was crazy.

"I can barely move. How am I supposed to move faster than a walk? You saw me earlier, I almost wiped out because I couldn't get my body to move properly."

Saphira laughed.

"I'm definitely coming to watch this then. I want to see you fail miserably."

Eragon raised his eyebrows and ate a piece of bacon in one bite. Once he swallowed he smirked at Saphira.

"You're kind of bitchy in the morning."

She narrowed her eyes and then without warning, took a piece of toast and flicked it at Eragon. He ducked and it flew past him, hitting a man sitting at the next table. Immediately Saphira ducked under the table and Eragon pretended to be shocked. He looked apologetically at the man that now had buttery toast crumbs on his face and spoke with a sincere tone.

"I am so sorry sir, she just doesn't know when to control herself."

It took a couple seconds to realize he was motioning at her. The man looked her way and grimaced before standing and moving several tables away. She glared at Eragon.

"What the hell."

He grinned cheekily while Saphira rose up from under the table laughing. She held a fist to Eragon and he bumped it while they both continued to laugh. Saphira shoved Arya's shoulder, causing her neck to jolt painfully and she couldn't completely hide a wince. Eragon seemed to catch it but didn't say anything. Saphira smiled at her.

"Don't worry, dude. Nobody here thinks you have a playful bone in your body. He obviously was glaring at you because he didn't understand why you were hanging out with somebody as stupid as Eragon."

Eragon made a face.

"Funny."

Saphira chuckled and stood to take her tray back.

"I thought so."

By the time Eragon had finished, it was almost eight. She led them to the gym and then into their own more private room. She motioned to the mats.

"Stretch out."

Eragon flopped to the ground and started to lazily do as she asked. She frowned.

"Eragon, today is going to be hard. You need to loosen up your muscles as much as you can or you'll be useless."

Rolling his eyes, he nodded.

"Fine."

When he finished, she stepped onto the mat.

"Come to this end of the mat." When he did, she looked to the other side. "I assume you know what suicides are?"

He looked at her pleadingly.

"Come on! Seriously, just give me a break for today."

She shook her head and then nodded at the other end of the mat.

"Go."

He glared at her for a moment and then took off his jacket before sprinting to the other side of the room and back. After three she stopped him.

"Eragon." He slowed to a halt. "I'm not stupid. You might think that you can slow down your pace but I've seen your training videos. I know exactly how fast you can run and you sure as hell aren't running it. Go again."

He cursed loudly and sprinted to the other side much more quickly than he had been and back. After twenty more, she stopped him again. He was sucking in air and leaning over with his hands on his knees. Saphira chuckled and sat on the bench that lined the right wall of the room.

"You are going to die today."

Eragon glared at her but Arya stepped between them.

"Hands over your head Eragon. Come over here."

She walked to the corner of the mat and waited for him to follow.

"What now?"

"Pushups." Joining her, he dropped to the ground and laid there on his stomach. "Eragon."

He shook his head.

"Just give me a second."

"One. There's your second. Now go." Pushing himself up, he spread his hands and started. He got up to forty before his posture started to become sloppy. "Straighten your back. Head up." He got through thirty more before dropping to the mat.

"I'm done."

"Get up."

Standing, he walked over to her. Much closer than she would've liked.

"Why are you so bossy?"

Keeping her face passive, she looked at him. Again, a strange flutter shot through her as he grinned at her from a few inches away. Pushing it down, she placed her hand on his chest and pressed him back a foot. At least she tried to. Holding his ground, he grabbed her hand off his chest and dropped it. He was messing with her, as she could tell from his smile, but it was pissing her off.

"Eragon."

He tilted his head and moved an inch closer.

"Yeah?"

"Pull ups."

He looked confused until she looked above and he followed her gaze. A bar was a foot over her head, hanging from the ceiling. He grumbled as she stepped out of his way and several feet back. He swung his arms out tiredly and then jumped up to the bar. With little effort, he pulled himself chin-over the bar and then lowered again. As he did, the muscles in his arms rippled and she looked down. _What the hell, Arya._ He continued for a few minutes before dropping to the ground and looking at her with a smirk.

"What now?"

She watched with annoyance as Eragon was distracted from his jumps by Saphira. It had been happening all day and it was getting more and more obnoxious. When they'd been sparring, Eragon would randomly just stop and look over at Saphira and start talking. After the third time she had gotten fed up and kicked him in the stomach, telling him to pay attention. They had moved to the Tumble room almost an hour before and they'd barely gotten anywhere. Finally she'd had enough.

"Saphira."

The girl looked over and smirked.

"Yeah?"

"I think you should probably go."

Immediately both pouted and Saphira moved away from Eragon.

"Come on, Arya. Why are you being so strict with him? You let me talk to Orik during training."

"We had more time then. And you knew how to focus when it was important. He doesn't."

Saphira seemed to study her gaze for several moments before nodding and heading for the door.

"Ok. But don't kill him. He's going to help mess with Orik later and the plan requires a second person."

As soon as Saphira had left, Arya looked at Eragon.

"Can you flip?"

He shrugged.

"Not really. I mean, I can flip but I just don't think I can land it."

"Go get a drink and then come over to the foam pit."

While he did that, she went to the pit and waited. Her neck was better but stress from her mother's arrival had made everything tight and nothing seemed to be helping. Suddenly two hands were at her back, thumbs pressing into her muscles. She opened her mouth to stop him but he interrupted.

"Just chill out a second, k? You've been doing this all day and it doesn't seem to be helping."

As much as she wanted to pull away, she couldn't. Every time she was about to his thumb would press a particularly sore spot and render her helpless. As her mind yelled at her to get away, her body revolted against even the thought.

But when her common sense caught up with her, it was like getting struck by lightning. She jerked away and shoved back at him, sending him reeling to the floor. Laying there for a minute, he groaned loudly and glared at her.

"You could've just said stop."

Shaking her head, she motioned for him to get up.

"Let's see your flip."

He stood and walked over. When he reached her, he leaned close and whispered amusedly in her ear.

"You know, now that I know you have real, human emotions, you're going to be that much more fun to tease."

With that he smirked and jumped into the pit of foam cubes. Ignoring the tingle that shot down her spine, she crossed her arms.

"That was awful. Get out."

He turned and cocked his head.

"You know, you sure do a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. How do I know you are certified to be teaching me this?"

"Get out, Eragon."

He grinned mischievously.

"Make me."

She'd had enough of this. Without another word she turned and walked to the exit, through the door, and back to her room.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

He really hadn't meant to piss her off so badly, but she needed to lighten up a bit. He'd tried to follow her but a man stepped in his path.

"I'm Pete, Arya's told me to finish your training for today. Head on back in there."

Sighing, Eragon turned around and for the next hour and a half, did monotonous patterns of movement until her thought his head would explode. At least Arya had challenged him, this guy seemed to think he had the capabilities of a two-year-old. When he finally released him for lunch, Eragon had almost reached the point of punching the guy in the throat.

Without a guide, he walked aimlessly through the halls until somebody finally decided to help him find his way. He joined the line in the cafeteria and then went to sit with Orik who was already halfway through with his meal. When he sat, Orik looked at him knowingly. Rolling his eyes, Eragon tried to explain.

"I didn't mean to get her that angry, ok?"

"Sure, sure."

Saphira dropped into the seat next to Eragon and draped her arm around him.

"Way to go! Nobody's ever gotten under her skin like that! I'm so proud!"

"I'm not. I had to train with a super boring dude who couldn't talk more in a monotone if he tried."

"Pete?"

"Yeah."

Saphira and Orik laughed and Saphira patted his shoulder.

"That's what people get when their trainers are annoyed with them. It's a form of punishment that they use often."

"For how long exactly?"

Orik shrugged.

"Well Arya's never done that to anyone before so there's really no way to tell although I'm guessing it'll be a while." The burly man stood with his tray. "You must've been really stupid, man. I gotta go. Good luck, bro."

As soon as he was gone Saphira pulled out her laptop. She typed rapidly and opened a picture before turning the screen toward him.

"What the hell was this?"

She pressed the spacebar and a video played out before him. It was from earlier in the Tumble room. He winced as it started and then frowned at her.

"Stalker."

Saphira kicked his foot.

"Whatever. What is this?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know. She kept rolling her shoulders like she was in pain so I helped her out."

Saphira just stared at him.

"Dude. Even in your time here, you already know Arya's personality. The fact that she didn't kill you is a wonder, but that she let you do it at all is insane."

He sighed.

"Whatever. I was just trying to help out."

Saphira grinned and elbowed him.

"Sure you were, Eragon." She turned back to her computer. "By the way, I found some more interesting tid bits while I was searching your background."

Eragon looked at her curiously.

"What might those be?"

"You can sing." Startled, Eragon choked on the bite of his sandwich he'd taken. Saphira grinned. "Yeah. Even for a drunk you sang rather well."

Eragon shook his head.

"How did you find out about that?"

Chuckling, Saphira waggled her fingers mysteriously.

"I have my ways."

Shaking his head, he smirked.

"Well I'm not singing for you."

Saphira frowned and then seemed to ponder something.

"How about we make a little bet?"

"Go on."

"If I can get Arya to continue training you right away? Then you can" Saphira made air quotes. "help her out some more."

Eragon narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know she wont train me right away anyway?"

Saphira looked exasperated.

"You pissed off one of the most passive people on this planet and you think she's just going to be fine tomorrow?"

Rolling his eyes, Eragon nodded.

"Fine. You get her to train me and I'll sing for you."

Saphira shook her head.

"If I do it, you have to sing at my birthday party."

Eragon shook his head.

"No fricken way."

Shrugging, Saphira stood with her tray.

"Ok. Well have fun with Pete the next couple weeks."

He debated quickly and then gave in.

"Fine, fine. But I choose the song."

Grinning, Saphira nodded and walked off.

**The next chapter of An Unwanted Bond will be up tomorrow for those who read that.**

**Mahavia: **Yes the ones I was using were Krav Maga techniques. Lol how did you know that just from reading? And Arya from the book was kind of brutal lol. Idk if she'd really follow that rule. As for the pupil/master thing, Eragon didn't exactly know if she was better or not until she kicked his ass. Do you do martial arts?

**Fughp: **Lol I wish Flashes was updated more often as well. Murtagh will be in the story soon. And considering I still live at home, that would be a no lol.

**Microbat98: **I really hope your definition of cheesy is different than mine :P. Cheesy means cliche and corny and I hope that's not my story.

**Elemental Dragon Slayer: **Lol you are very helpful. I just mean that my english teacher says I'm supposed to rewrite everything for papers several times and change things so I was wondering if I should do that with this.

**Silverwing: **There really isn't riders in this story I don't think. Unless I just call all the very talented agents riders. Eragon is going to be trained by both of them at some point. Arya is Eragon's age except a year older. And she's been through a lot so yeah, she's just more experienced and closed off. And that's really amazing. She'll love it.

**Dracones: **No I've never done more than one draft. I was just asking if I should. Lol yeah I'm tired of writing Faolin into the story. It makes it so I have to take Arya on an emotional journey that takes forever to be done right. I decided against Faolin a while back because writing him into this would be boring to me. I feel like I would get repetitive with my other stories.

**Star: **Yeah, especially in the beginning, I didn't even look over it at all before putting it up.

**Nandon: **Lmao so very true! And I'm good with the endings of the chapters but when it comes to the endings of stories, I'm definitely going to need to rewrite a lot.

**The Hero of the Dark: **Murtagh and Thorn will enter into the story soon. idk about Solembum. And yes, Roran will return later on. Faolin isn't going to be a factor in this story. Orrin will probably be in it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey so sorry it took so long to get up. Also I put up another poll if you'd all like to keep things as they are or if you want me to switch off stories every Friday. **

**My FF friend Formerly Known as Devil has posted the first chapter of his story and it's epic so you should all go check it out! It's called "Inheritance of the Creed." **

Saphira kept her word and the next morning Arya was there to retrieve him. In fact, she was there every day for the next month, waking him at five-thirty in the morning to go eat and then put him through some form of hell that made him rise the next day with arms that ached as if on fire. But over that time, he also saw a progress that surprised him. His body, although it had been in shape before, was toned to the point that every movement reflected the power under his skin.

He woke himself this morning and stepped out of bed. It was the first time in weeks he didn't feel the sudden urge to collapse. He walked to the mirror in his room and studied himself. It was kind of disconcerting to have changed so much in such little time. There was a knock on the door and he walked to answer it. Just as he reached for it, he realized he wore nothing but boxers.

"Hang on."

Quickly, he threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and then opened the door for her. She waited quietly as he slid on his socks and shoes. He made to leave but she stopped him with a hand to his chest.

"Jacket. It's raining."

He nodded and ignored the feeling that shot through him at the feel of her fingers on him. He returned to his closet and grabbed the running jacket. He probably wouldn't end up wearing it but the one time that he didn't bring it and got slightly cold, Arya had looked at him like he was an idiot and then chewed him out.

He followed her to the exit, knowing they wouldn't have food until after they got back. Outside, they stretched quickly, eager to get moving. He took off the jacket and tested the breeze on his skin, deciding it wasn't chilly enough to wear it while running. He tucked it just inside the tunnel. Arya rolled her eyes and started off on the path. She'd been very controlled ever since their whole situation in the Tumble room and it was becoming slightly obnoxious. He was going to have get past that wall she'd reinforced. They started off at a fast jog and this time, Eragon easily kept pace with her for the first four miles. After that, he started to breathe quicker than normal. They had just reached mile six when a figure appeared from further ahead running their direction.

Beside him, Arya slowed slightly. He followed her lead and they waited tensely as what they could now tell was another jogger, approached. The man noticed them as well and he slowed to a walk, waving at Eragon and Arya like a good friend. They slowed as well and then came to a halt in front of the man. The jogger was the first to speak.

"You two are pretty tough to be running in such poor weather."

Arya smiled.

"The same to you."

The man, who from closer up seemed to be in his sixties, chuckled.

"I'm training for a marathon so I gotta be prepared for everything. What're you all out here for?"

Arya's demeanor had changed drastically so that she seemed very open and friendly. She gave Eragon a sideways glance and smirked.

"Trying to teach the boyfriend a lesson. I get tired of seeing him so wrapped up in his ridiculous video games."

The man laughed heartily and it made it so that he didn't see Eragon's slight misstep as he took in what she'd just said. He collected himself quickly and fell into character. He made a mock admonished face.

"Hey, sometimes I don't realize how long I've played until she's chucking popuri at me from across the room."

The man laughed again and held out his hand to Arya, then him.

"The name's Louis. Louis Brackriar."

Arya nodded.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Arya" She looked to Eragon. "and this is Eragon."

Louis grinned.

"Wonderful to meet you as well. Come on, we're all thoroughly soaked through and I'm sure your rather cold right now. My wife is making breakfast and she always makes way too much for just us."

Arya opened her mouth to decline but he interceded with a smile.

"How could we say no."

Louis clapped his hands and then waved for them to follow.

"This way, it's a mile or so down the path."

As soon as his back was turned Arya sent him a scathing look. He simply grinned. Enraged, Arya punched him hard in the solar plexus, knocking the wind completely out of him. His eyes went wide and he gasped, stumbling into a tree as he passed it. Louis turned around and Arya put on a worried frown.

"Eragon?"

Eragon held his hand to his side and flipped her off as he sucked in air that she'd forced from his lungs.

"My bad. I tripped over a tree branch."

Louis looked apologetically at Arya.

"I understand why you want him to get out more. Not the most graceful person."

He was kidding but Arya took pleasure in Eragon's annoyance. She nodded.

"Exactly. We're working on it though, aren't we babe?"

Ok, this was how it was gonna be. Game on. He shrugged helplessly and then walked right into Arya's personal space. He wrapped his arm around her and hugged her close.

"We are."

She tensed and then forced herself to relax. The man turned and started walking again and Arya elbowed him. Since he'd been expecting it, he just grabbed her arm and slid his hand down to hers. She pulled but she couldn't escape his grasp without some drastic effort and that would give them away. He linked his fingers with hers and her hand felt perfectly fitted to his own. They walked like this for fifteen minutes before finally reaching a path that led into the trees. Immediately Arya slowed. She studied their surroundings and then leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"Keep an eye out, I don't like this."

Despite the seriousness of her tone, he couldn't focus on much more than the feeling of her breath on his ear. He nodded and tried to focus. Despite her fear, they arrived at the house a couple minutes later and Eragon's eyebrows raised. He whistled in appreciation.

"Damn."

Arya took the more classy approach.

"Your home is beautiful, Louis."

Louis looked at it with pride.

"Took us fifteen years to save up for this house. It's wonderful."

He led them up porch steps and opened the door to a warm and inviting living room. The colors inside were warm. All light yellows and blues that set Eragon at ease. A woman about the same age as Louis appeared from an opening that seemed to be the entrance to the kitchen. The smell of pancakes and bacon wafted past and Eragon inhaled deeply. The woman looked to Louis and he wrapped an arm lovingly around her.

"This is my wife Jamie."

They all shook hands and introduced themselves again. Louis looked at his wife with a question in his eyes.

"Do we still have clothes of Jared and Lucy?"

Arya waved away the offer.

"Thank you so much but we're alright."

Jamie smiled sweetly.

"Oh you don't want to sit in soaked clothes. You wont be able to enjoy your meal. Follow me."

She led Eragon and Arya to a small room that seemed to be an office and told them to wait for a moment. She returned with two sets of clothes.

"They might not fit perfectly but they will probably do while I dry your clothes."

She left the room and closed the door behind her. Arya whirled on Eragon and shoved at him. He stumbled backwards and barely missed falling onto the desk where a brand new looking iMac was resting. He laughed and ducked away from her.

"Hey, relax. Free food."

She glared at him and then picked up the clothes Jamie had set on a dresser.

"Turn around."

He complied and waited impatiently as she changed. A thud sounded as she chucked the clothes brought for him at his back. He turned and picked them up.

"Just chillax and have some fun, Arya."

She shook her head at him and he just smirked and pulled off his shirt. She seemed to be taken off guard and her gaze lingered a little too long on his bare torso. He made a show of lifting his arms over his head and sliding on the other shirt. She looked at him disgusted and turned as he changed his pants. Just as the girl's clothes were too short for Arya, his clothes were slightly too big. He realized right off that his pants were not going to stay up very well. He made for the door but Arya stepped in front of him.

"We eat and we go, understand?"

He chuckled.

"Sure."

With that, he pushed past her and headed back towards the kitchen and the delicious smell. Louis was setting the table and Jamie was just pulling off more bacon from a pan. She smiled at them as they entered.

"You look adorable. Go ahead and take a seat."

Eragon chuckled and looked to find Arya still glaring at him. He sighed and sat down. She did as well and soon Louis and Jamie were bringing plates of food to the table. Eragon's stomach grumbled loudly and Jamie laughed. The sat down across from him and Arya and started to pass around the food. He was last and took just one pancake although it killed him. Jamie frowned at him.

"You know you want to take more than that. Don't try and be polite for our sake."

Eragon grinned happily and took three more off the plate causing them to laugh and Arya to roll her eyes at him. He smiled at her cheekily and took a bite.

As they ate, only small conversation was made because most of the time their mouths were full of food. It was incredible and the pancakes were all buttery goodness. The bacon as well although Arya carefully avoided it. They finished and Louis cleared the table while Jamie led them to the living room and sat down in a recliner, motioning for them to take the couch. He took Arya's hand and sat down, pulling her after him and making it so she was right next to her. He placed his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. He'd planned on trying to make her more uncomfortable but now he was having an insanely hard time focusing on anything but her scent and the way her hair brushed his jaw. She seemed to notice and so as Jamie spoke, Arya rested her hand on Eragon's knee. He caught his breath and tried to focus on what Jamie had just asked him.

"W-what?"

Jamie smiled.

"What is your favorite video game?" He looked at her surprised and she chuckled. "My son was a 'gamer.' Always glued to the television. He had an obsession with the Call of Duty games."

Eragon nodded.

"Those games are fun but I'm more of an RPG gamer myself. I enjoy games such as Assassin's Creed and the like."

Louis walked in.

"Jared played those as well." He looked at Arya. "Have you ever given it a shot?"

She smirked.

"Yeah, I owned him."

Eragon snorted. She wasn't getting away with that.

"Whatever! You died every ten seconds because you were jumping off buildings."

The older couple laughed just as the doorbell rang. Louis stood and headed out of sight toward the door. Moments later he called for Jamie.

"Did you order dirt?"

Jamie stood.

"Yes. I was planning on fixing up the garden."

She smiled apologetically at them and made her way to find her husband, leaving them alone. Arya pushed away from him but he just chuckled and kept his arm around her waist. He knew she was furious and he would pay for this later, but it was totally worth it. He was under her skin. Suddenly she slammed her fist into his side. He winced and fought back a yelp. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jamie step into the room. In the position they were in, it would look like they were fighting. She was still glaring and he looked in pain. So, to avoid this and to get her back for punching him, he did the stupidest thing he could've possibly done in the situation.

With swift motions he held her chin in one hand and pulled her to him. Her eyes widened in surprise and shock but it was too late to stop. Their mouths collided and the electricity and fire that shot through his veins was numbing. She hadn't made any move yet, but when she did, it was completely opposite of what he expected. Her lips moved against his. Hesitant, he moved with her. One of her hands gripped his shirt and he pulled her closer. Just then, she pulled away. It wasn't a jerk away, but he knew that's what she wanted to do by the look in her eyes. It seems she knew that Jamie was now in the room and was careful not to give them away. He smiled at her but since Jamie couldn't see her, Arya gave him a death glare. He was so older woman sat down again.

"You two make such a wonderful couple."

Arya smiled.

"Thank you."

Jamie grinned and studied them.

"You know, I don't recognize you two. Are you here on vacation?"

Arya answered her.

"Yes. We had to get away from everything for a bit."

Jamie nodded knowingly.

"I totally understand that. That's actually why we moved out here. Are you staying near here?"

"We're at the Southern Hill Inn a few miles south."

"Ah, very good place to stay. Have you been out on the lake?"

"Well we actually planned to today but with this rain, it'll have to wait until next time."

"Such a shame."

Arya nodded.

"Yes. We've heard it's wonderful though."

"It is."

Just then Louis returned.

"If you guys come back give us a call. I have a boat you can take out."

Eragon grinned.

"Definitely. Thanks Louis."

They continued their conversation for over an hour before a beeping sound distracted Jamie. She got up.

"That would be your clothes. Come with me." The woman led them through the house to a laundry room. She pulled out their clothes and handed it to them. "You can change in that same room."

They thanked her again and then made there way back. As soon as the door closed, Arya turned to yell at him.

"What the hell was that!"

He frowned.

"What?"

She rolled her eyes and he grinned mischievously.

"Still thinking about it? Was I that good?"

She looked like she wanted to rip out his throat but settled for turning away.

"Hurry up and get dressed."

Once they'd both changed back into their own clothes, they made their way back to the couple. Arya smiled sweetly.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Jamie, Louis. I wish we could stay longer but we need to start packing so we can be out of the hotel at eight."

Jamie walked over and hugged her.

"Oh don't worry dear, we totally understand."

Eragon watched amused as Arya stood awkwardly, not exactly knowing how to react to the woman. Eragon on the other hand hugged the older woman back with a grin.

"Those pancakes were to die for. Thank you so much."

Jamie stepped back and gave him a motherly pat on the cheek.

"You're are a kind man, Eragon."

He became serious.

"Thank you, ma'am."

They both shook hands with Louis who handed them his business card.

"Seriously. If you're ever in town, take me up on that offer. My boat's one of the best out there and I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

They thanked them one last time and then exited the back door. The pouring rain had turned to a light drizzle and Eragon lifted his face towards it as they walked. He looked back to find that the couple was watching from their doorstep and waved before taking Arya's hand in his own and smiling at her.

"That was so much fun."

She couldn't do anything but smile sweetly and stay in character while Jamie and Louis watched. But as soon as they got out of sight, she ripped her hand from his and shoved him into the closest tree, her hand at his throat.

"Don't ever do that again."

Her eyes burned with rage and he tilted his head, leaning close to whisper in her ear.

"Don't start what you can't finish. I wouldn't have done anything if you hadn't started making me sound like a lazy ass."

She continued to glare at him and he winced as one of the knobs in the tree pressed into his spine. With a quick movement, he knocked her hand to the side and ducked under her. He tried to put her in a hold but she was too quick and managed with little effort to pin him again. This time his back was pulled against her and his arms were held at painful positions. Her head was right next to his and when she spoke, anger filled her voice.

"Never. Again."

With that she shoved him away and started back at a jog.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She didn't exactly know why she was so angry. She'd had to kiss other agents in the line of duty and she hadn't had a problem. She pondered it as she ran and finally it came to her. Those times before, she'd always been in control. She called the shots and everyone knew it. But with Eragon, he was a wild cannon. She didn't know what to expect and he had a way of making everything work in his favor. And when he'd kissed her. . . . She frowned at the little jolt that shot through her at the memory and continued on.

His lips were teasing and he knew when he did what he did, that she didn't want him to at all. Still, when she thought back, she had a hard time remembering if she kissed him back because she heard Jamie return or if she just kissed him because it was unlike any kiss she'd ever- She cut herself off. _No, that's ridiculous. Stop being stupid Arya. _Obviously it was because she heard the older woman enter the room.

They made it back in good time and she briefed Saphira on what happened so that she could make their cover identities and set it up. Arya the ignored anything Eragon said as she led him to the Tumble room. A class was just leaving when they arrived and Eragon said hi to a couple people. Only a few weeks here and he already knew more of the people than her. Brilliant. They spent the next hour and a half running through drills and despite her annoyance at having to admit it, he was getting good. At this point, he could jump and roll flawlessly each time and he could flip with precision. He could run up walls and pull himself up with little effort.

Just then, he sprinted at a fifteen foot wall and glided up perfectly. He stood tall and held out his arms.

"Wala!"

"Get down Eragon."

Just then, Saphira burst into the room. Her face was serious.

"Hey you two are needed in Ajihad's office."

Arya frowned.

"What's going on?"

Eragon jumped down and rolled to a standing position. Saphira waved away her question.

"You'll see. Come on."

It took ten minutes to arrive in Ajihad's office and when they arrived her mother, Nasuada, and several leaders were waiting. The computer screen was facing them and Ajihad had a stressed look on his face. Arya ignored her mother and questioned him.

"What is it?"

Instead of answering, he pressed play on the screen. The scene that folded out before her made her insides crawl in horror. It showed a small village with people going about their day. Suddenly, gunfire erupted around them and as the people screamed, running for their loved ones, masked figures sprinted in and started to fire without prejudice at anything that moved. As bullets hit their targets, they exploded. Fire spread from house to house as men, women, and children alike were gunned down without mercy. The video paused but it was not over. A voice spoke.

"Detta är din provkörning. Du har fyrtio åtta timmar till kontakta oss och gör ett köp innan vi går vidare till nästa köpare ." (This is your trial run. You have forty-eight hours to contact us and make a purchase before we move on to the next buyer)

Arya was disgusted for she understood what was being said. Another man responded.

"Vi kommer att ta två hundra av kanonerna. Jag skickar en man att slutföra affären. Och gör inget misstag, du lura mig och Durza kommer att slita ut din kära hjärtan." (We will take two hundred of the guns. I am sending a man to complete the deal. And make no mistake, you double-cross me, and Durza will rip out the hearts of your loved ones).

Ajihad stopped the video and looked at her, then Eragon. She looked at Eragon as well and what she saw surprised her. His was in shock. He was staring at the screen without breathing. Ajihad tried to get his attention.

"Eragon."

When he didn't answer, she touched his arm.

"Eragon?"

He jolted and then looked at her. His eyes were haunted in a way that actually hurt to see. He took a deep breath and then without a word, turned and walked out of the room. Saphira turned to follow but Ajihad stopped her.

"Hold on. We need to get this prepared. We have a limited window of opportunity to nab Durza. We're also planning on taking out the arms dealers who did this so that shortens our time even more. Arya, will you be ready to go in an hour?" She nodded. Ajihad looked towards the door. "We need him on this too."

She raised her eyebrows and then shook her head.

"No way in hell. He isn't ready for something like this."

"Arya, already he is more skilled than anyone else here. Besides you of course. I need him to go too."

"He isn't ready! Did you see his face? He. Isn't. Ready."

Ajihad sighed sadly.

"If only we had the time to prepare him. I know he's not completely ready, but there isn't much we can do. Go speak with him and see if he's alright, then report to me."

She wanted to argue but she felt like it would be worthless. The decision was made. She walked out of the room and Saphira followed, pulling out her lap top in the process.

"Here, we can find out where he went."

Opening the security cameras, they followed Eragon through the halls and saw that he was in the private gym room. He was beating furiously on the punching bag, his hands not wrapped. She could already see blood dripping from his hands. Saphira shut her computer and they made their way through the building, reaching the gym after several minutes. They walked quickly to the room and then closed the door behind them. Eragon heard nothing as he pounded continuously on the bag. Saphira stepped forward to stop him but Arya held her back.

"Let him work it out."

"But he's bleeding."

"A little blood never hurt anyone."

Saphira looked upset but she kept back and waited with her as Eragon continued his abuse of the equipment. After ten more minutes, he finally stepped away and dropped his hands to his side. They were raw and bleeding from everywhere that the skin had tore open. Saphira walked forward slowly.

"Eragon."

He didn't respond except to look at the floor. Saphira went to him and hugged him tightly. He took a moment but then wrapped his arms around her. His eyes though, they remained cold. Horrified in a way that was hard to look at. Suddenly he was looking at her. His eyes seemed to pierce her soul as she stood and watched them. After a few minutes, Saphira let him go and spoke quietly. She asked if he was alright and then continued to talk to him. All the while, Eragon's hands dripped with blood. She walked towards him and took his arm, pulling him behind her and then sitting him on the bench. She didn't meet his eyes as she retrieved medical supplies from a cabinet across the room.

When she returned, Saphira was sitting next to him. Suddenly a ping from her iPad that was always in her back pack had her pulling it out to look. She sighed and looked at Eragon.

"I need to go help plan this but I'll come and speak with you later."

He nodded hollowly. As Saphira left, Arya knelt before him and took one of his hands in hers, pouring antiseptic onto a cloth before pressing it to his skin. He barely registered the pain. She repeated the same on the other one, cleaning the blood off of his knuckles.

"Eragon, talk to me."

When he didn't she was silent so she could wrap gauze around his hands and tape them. Usually she'd just make him deal with the pain and let them heal over time. But if he was going on this mission with her, she needed him in perfect condition. And that included mentally. She held her hand under his jaw and made him look at her.

"Eragon, I know that is the worst thing you will ever see in your life and I'm sorry you had no warning. But right now, if we want to help them and exact justice, we need to move quickly. Durza is being sent to retrieve the weapons and we need to intercept them. Ajihad says you are to accompany me on this, but I need your A-game."

He watched her and as much as she wished she could look away, something in his eyes held her in place. The horror that he felt was still there, but the emotions that joined it were just as strong. She watched as a resolve entered him and anger filled his gaze. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You realize that I will kill them?"

She knew he meant the people who had slaughtered that village.

"Yes. I do."

He studied her and then nodded.

"I'm in."

**Ok, first of all, I'm super sorry if I butchered that language in any way. I actually don't even know what it is because I just went to a translator site and chose one at random. So yeah, sorry.**

**The Hero of the Dark: **Ok I'll check those out. And you fight against Olympic athletes?

**Silverwing: **Lol no I made him up because I needed a random character. I used Pete because my brother's name is Peter. And it's not this chapter but it will be soon. And that's super awesome that she liked it! That's really nice of you.

**Microbat98: **Haha ok then thank you then that makes me feel better :D

**Green Magic: **Lol you make me chuckle.

**Elvendiath: **I'm totally fine wit that.And I was thinking about like mental stuff but idk what I would have him do really. I hope this chapter had enough ExA for ya ;)

**Mahavia: **Haha what now?! They already kissed! It wasn't like legit but they still did kiss :)

**Tamerlain75: **They will use guns and knives. Swords don't really have a place here I don't think. And I'm thinking about that but I think it's just going to be him becoming stronger to the point that he's as good as Arya.


	9. Chapter 9

**My ski trip was cancelled do to lack of snow :/ Lol well at least I can update.**

**Also, thank you all so much for the reviews. That was the most epic thing ever getting so many! It made my entire week!**

She led him to a room designated for planning missions. Inside there was a huge screen that covered an entire wall and a rectangle table that was doubled as a control screen. Anything they did at the table would show on the screen for all to see. Saphira was a the head, facing towards the wall. Ajihad was on her right and Islanzadi was to her left. Brom was next to Ajihad. Arya took a seat by him and Eragon next to her. They were all silent for several seconds as they waited for them to be seated and then Ajihad cleared his throat.

"Ok. So basically we have decided that you and Eragon will travel to Santiago under the cover of a travel agency looking to check out resorts."

Arya frowned.

"How do we know they're in Chile?

Saphira moved around the windows on the screen quickly, revealing a map.

"I traced the conversation from the satellite that picked it up and coordinated their position. It showed an area that encompassed a much larger part of South America so I had to narrow it down by studying the probabilities. Santiago is the fifth largest city in all of Chile and it would be easy to escape if you know the area well enough."

Arya was about to question her but Eragon spoke first.

"But those dealers were speaking Swedish. Why are they in Chile?"

Everyone looked at him surprised but he kept his gaze on the blonde. Arya raised her eyebrows. He sure knew how to lock down on his emotions. And he's bilingual. His file had said as much but she had expected his language knowledge went from English to Spanish. Saphira nodded.

"I questioned that as well and then I went back and listened to the recording again. Here."

She played it back and Arya caught what she was pointing out.

"There's a slight accent to their words."

Saphira grinned.

"Exactly. They were trying to disguise their location of origin. Now," Saphira moved a window from behind another. "this is your cover. I've created a website for your company. It's solid and will check out if anyone get's suspicious. We'll have people waiting for calls here as well."

Eragon made a face.

"Travel Guru? Really?"

Saphira shrugged.

"It's a leading travel company in India. If anyone catches that, you can say that they're trying to expand their business. I've scheduled you on a flight to Dallas and from there you can travel straight to Santiago. I booked two rooms in the Grand Hyatt Santiago where you will have easy access to everything. You're lucky, it's one of the most famed hotels in the area. Your cover will make it easy to travel from one hotel or resort to another without much suspicion too, so if we locate a target, your movement wont cause a problem."

Eragon frowned.

"We don't know their location? What's our plan on finding them?"

Ajihad switched back to the map and circled several clusters of buildings.

"We know that these are the only areas they could hold such dangerous gear without notice. You'll move systematically from one to the next."

Saphira changed the windows again.

"These are your passports and new names." Arya looked at the screen. _Elise Gardet and Noah Pelk. Not bad. _"You will have a long time on the plane so take advantage of it. Memorize these names and their background. I'm setting up a bank account and giving you each new Visa cards. You have unlimited funds as long as your purchases are relevant to the mission."

Ajihad took over there.

"The most important aspect of this mission is finding Durza. He is the key to getting to Galbatorix."

Eragon shifted forward.

"I'm taking down the men who massacred that village."

Ajihad sighed.

"I want them to pay for what they did as well, Eragon. But think about the future. If Galbatorix gets his hands on the nuclear weapon, a lot more people will die. There is no way to bring those people back, but there is a way to save thousands more. He is the main focus. You must accept this."

Eragon kept his face passive as he nodded but Arya knew he wasn't going to let them go without at least trying to take them down. She sighed inwardly. She was going to have to keep an eye on him or he'd go try and play hero. Ajihad stood.

"You two should pack. You leave in one hour."

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

Arya took him to the room full of various clothing and headed for a totally different Isle than before. His mind was filled with the looks of terror that covered the faces of the men and women killed and he forced it out of his head. Not now. Now he had to focus.

"It's July so we need warmer clothes."

He frowned.

"July is like the hottest time of year."

"In the US. In Chile, it's one of the colder months." She pulled down three crates. "Go through those. There's your overall attire."

He watched as she continued further until she stopped and pulled down three more. When she started digging through it, he turned back to his. In the first box there were dress shirts. He made a face and then looked over.

"Why do I have to wear such nice clothes?"

She looked at him like he was stupid.

"We're supposedly there on business, Eragon. I'm pretty sure it would be a little unprofessional for you to wear jeans and a spongebob tee."

He rolled his eyes.

"Obviously it would be a Star Wars tee. After all, I am an adult."

She ignored him and he went back to his box, pulling out three white dress shirts, a light blue one, and then a few of the checkered colors. Setting them on the ground, he opened the next box and groaned. He literally hated dress pants.

"Shut up, Eragon."

He leaned his head back and sighed.

"I'd rather eat panda shit than put these awful articles of clothing on my body."

"That's too bad. Move your ass, I don't have time for this."

He dug through the pants and pulled out two black pair and one gray, setting them on the ground next to him. Suddenly Arya was next to him. She picked up everything he'd taken out and put them back into their appropriate boxes.

"Hey!"

She pushed him out of the way.

"You are choosing clothes that don't match. Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

He stood and held up his hands.

"No! I don't wear crap like this."

"Not even in the FBI?"

He grinned.

"I was good enough they let me wear whatever I wanted."

She sighed and pulled out a white shirt, handing it to him.

"Put this on."

He frowned.

"Why, this whole box is my size?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Just do it."

He unbuttoned the shirt and put it on over his t-shirt. After he buttoned it back, he rolled his shoulders.

"It feels weird."

"That's because you're not used to it."

She bent down and pulled out a gray vest with a neckline that went down to just under his chest. It had three black buttons and the lip of the two pockets were black. She handed it to him and he put it on as well. After that she took out a pair of black pants and set them on the ground.

"There, first outfit down. We'll get the belts and ties later on. Take that off."

For the next thirty minutes, she pulled out shirt and various vests and had him try them on. In the end, he had the first outfit, one with a white shirt that had dark blue vertical stripes and grey pants. Another she pulled out consisted of dark navy pants and a light purple shirt. She handed him two other shirts, one white and medium grey, that she said also went with the dark navy pants. Lastly she took out a grey-dark blue shirt. Setting them all to the side when he'd tried them on, she stood.

"Now that I've thoroughly wasted my time on helping you, go ahead and pull out one more of each color pants. Then open that last crate and get a few white undershirts."

She turned and started the process of finding her own clothes.

He did, then picked up all the outfits and went over to where she was just closing up her crates.

"Why didn't you try them on?"

She walked past him holding her own clothes.

"Because I know what I look good in."

He grinned but didn't say anything as she walked a couple isles down and opened more crates for him.

"Jeans, relatively nice shirts. Get three pair of jeans and four shirts. I'm going to a different isle so you'll be able to try on the jeans. Hurry because we only have twenty-five minutes to finish packing. Call me when you're done."

He went as fast as he could until he'd found what she asked for.

"Got everything!"

She reappeared around the corner with even more clothing in her arms. Setting them down, she started past him.

"Stay here, I'm going to call for our suitcases to be brought here. We aren't going to have time to go get them."

Several people came along with the bags and started packing their clothes away. While they did that, Arya brought him over several ties and belts, handing them to the packers. She then pulled down four crates and opened them. Inside were men's dress shoes of all styles and colors. She chose three different pair and then put the boxes away. Lastly, she gathered her own shoes and finishings and handed them over to be packed away. They had ten minutes left before they needed to start off. She went to the first isle she'd ever taken him to.

"We don't have time to return to our rooms. Grab a pair of sweats and running shorts. A few t-shirts as well and undergarments. When you're done, return to the front."

"Don't you need that stuff as well?"

Just before she disappeared around the corner she answered.

"Already got em'."

As they headed for the exit, Eragon looked at the five suitcases they'd filled. He walked through the corridors behind Arya, not knowing exactly where they were headed. He knew they'd arrived when he saw Ajihad, Nasuada, Islanzadi, and Angela waiting by a steel door. Ajihad smiled grimly.

"You ready?"

Arya nodded but Eragon looked back at the suitcases.

"Um, well don't we need like, toothbrushes and stuff?"

Saphira laughed.

"Those are already in your suitcase. Don't worry, everything you need is inside."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Weapons?"

She shook her head.

"No. Those will be waiting for you in your rooms." She pulled out two heavy folders. "Here. This will tell you everything you need to know."

She then turned and entered three pass codes into the door, opening it for the rest of them. They walked out and his eyebrows rose in shock. _Holy. . . shit. _Before him were cars of all kinds. From crappy clunkers to pristine Lamborghinis. He followed blindly as Saphira approached a silver BMW M3 E46 and unlocked it. The people carrying the suitcases were able to fit two in the trunk. The rest they laid across the back seat. Arya took the keys and slid into the driver's side. He headed for the passenger side, still trying to look at all the cars, when Saphira stopped him.

"Be careful. She drives like a psychopath."

"Awesome."

She grinned.

"Good luck. I'll be flying in later today and setting up shop with Orik so that we can keep an eye on you two."

"You're coming?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, so don't do anything stupid or I'll know."

He grinned and opened the car door.

"Noted."

Ajihad nodded to them both.

"Be safe and return alive."

Nodding back, Eragon sat into the seat. The door had just closed when he felt a prick on his neck. Looking over, he saw Arya pulling her hand away. _What the. . ._ She started the engine as he slowly lost consciousness.

He woke in a fog. Blinking several times, he first heard the whirring of the engine and the sound of the highway. Looking to the side, he saw Arya was staring straight ahead. He frowned. _I got in the car . . . something pricked me . . . _He glared at her.

"Why the hell did you knock me out?"

"Because you can't know where we are located."

"Still?! Why?"

"Because this is your first time out. You might seem complacent inside only to betray us. If you leave, we don't want you knowing how to return."

He looked at her incredulously.

"After everything, you still think I'm gonna run?"

She shook her head.

"No, but I am not the only one who has a say."

He sighed.

"Well that's stupid. Where are we now?"

"Dallas."

"How long have we been driving?"

"Can't say."

He ran his hand through his hair angrily and then looked at his clothes. He turned to her.

"We're flying in wearing t-shirts and looking like we do?"

She shook her head.

"No, we'll stop at a gym a few miles out to shower and change."

"Do we have time?"

"I drove fast."

He looked at the speedometer and chuckled. She was going 95.

"I can see that."

Arya looked at him and frowned.

"I'm only going twenty over."

"Only? What if we get pulled over?"

She pointed at a device in the dash.

"Police radar. I'm good."

He smirked and leaned his chair back.

"Nice."

They drove in silence for fifteen more minutes before stopping. Arya got out of the car and opened the door to the back. She nodded at the trunk.

"In the suitcase on the right you have your more casual clothing. Get a pair of jeans and a sweater. Along with the brown Florsheim Nowles loafers."

He made a face at the name.

"I don't know why I can't just wear sneakers.

"Because you're an adult and should be able to dress yourself. Running shoes don't really go with a sweater."

"I don't know why I have to wear sweaters."

She ignored him and pulled out what she needed along with two packs. She put her clothes inside one and handed him the other. Looking in he saw that there was shampoo and conditioner. A towel was below them. He shoved his clothes inside.

"Let's go, Eragon."

She headed for the entrance. When they stepped inside a man behind the counter smiled.

"Are you a member here?"

Arya grinned and pulled out her wallet. She showed the man her pass and Eragon's and then started inside. He caught up.

"How do we have passes to a gym in Texas?"

"I had Saphira set it up. We usually have time to prepare but this came about rather quickly so I had to imrovise."

They found the changing rooms and split up. Going to the furthest shower stall, he stepped inside and went as quickly as possible, cleaning all that needed cleaning and washing his hair quickly before he dried off and stepped out again. Wrapping the towel around his hips he dug into the bag and pulled out the stupid v-neck light blue sweater and slid it on over his wet hair.

After putting on his boxers, he stepped out of the cramped space between the two shower curtains and proceeded to put on his nice jeans. Lastly he sat on the closest bench and put on his shoes. As he walked toward the exit he caught himself in the mirror and sighed. Next to him a college kid who was tying his sneakers smirked.

"Going to work out in that?"

Eragon turned and frowned at the boy.

"No."

The kid chuckled.

"You a pretty boy?" Eragon moved towards the boy and stared down at him but the kid held up his hands. "Woah dude, I'm just kidding around."

Eragon turned back to the mirror. He started for the door just as the boy stood but looked back with a sigh.

"Just so you know, I have to agree with you."

He went and leaned against the wall as he waited for Arya to exit. The boy he'd spoken to came out moments later. He grinned.

"What're you doing?"

Eragon looked towards the women's locker room.

"Waiting."

"Ohhh, ok."

Just as he spoke, Arya walked out and caught glimpse of him.

"Ready?"

He nodded and watched as the kids eyes shot wide in surprise. Eragon looked over to see what he was so shocked at and then suddenly wished he hadn't. It made it kind of difficult to think. Arya was wearing dark skinny jeans and black ankle boots with a four inch heel. Laces went up the front of the shoe though he figured they were just for looks. She was wearing a black shirt with a greyish-brownish-white cardigan over it and her wavy hair was pulled into a loose side-pony. He gathered his bearings and grinned at her, noticing that the kid was looking from him to Arya like he didn't couldn't comprehend it.

Arya walked past him and he gave the kid a quick smirk before following. The boy just gave him a nod.

"Dude I don't know how you got her but don't do something stupid because you'll never find another."

He chuckled, playing along.

"Not planning on it."

It took twenty more minutes to arrive at the airport and then almost two hours to get through customs and security because of the amount of people. And then they had to wait for forty-five more minutes. To pass the time Eragon started to watch the passerby's. He grinned as a woman his age strutted past and she smiled before taking a seat across from him. He chuckled inwardly and continued to glance at her. She responded with a smirk and then picked up a magazine. Arya sighed.

"Stop flirting. We're here on business."

He glanced at her with a knowing look.

"Aww, is somebody jealous?"

Arya rolled her eyes and stood.

"I'm going to check that the flight is on time."

Eragon laughed.

"Avoiding your feelings is no way to live, Arya."

She didn't even bother to acknowledge he'd spoken. As soon as she'd left, the brunette across the isle put her magazine down.

"That your girlfriend?"

He shook his head and stood, walking to sit by her.

"Nope. What're you reading?"

She tried to close her magazine but he caught a glimpse before she could and chuckled.

"So you like browsing men's underwear sections?"

The girl blushed.

"I was just. . . trying to look busy."

He nodded.

"I figured. I'm Noah."

The woman smiled.

"Danielle. But everyone just calls me Dani."

"It's nice to meet you Dani. Where are you headed?"

Well I'm traveling to England but my flight's been delayed. I was going to just be sitting for three hours so I figured I might as well do it where there's something to look at."

She gave him a sly grin. "You?"

"I work for a travel agency along with my partner that just left. We're going to Chile to review the best resorts."

The girl raised her eyebrows.

"That's incredible. I love Chile."

"You've been there?"

The woman nodded.

"Yep. Went there a few years back with my dad. Such a beautiful place."

He smiled.

"You have any suggestions on what to do?"

For the rest of his time he spent listening to her talk about everything she did while Arya pulled out her computer and didn't give him a glance. She stood when it was time to go.

"Come on, Noah."

He stood and turned to smile at his new acquaintance.

"It was wonderful to meet you, Dani."

She chuckled.

"You as well. Make sure you take a trip to a ski resort too. It's a blast."

He nodded and continued on with Arya. They got on the plane and went to first class. Eragon dropped into his chair.

"Damn this is nice."

"You've never been in first class?"

He shook his head.

"Nope."

She leaned back in her chair, pulling out the file she'd been given. He did the same, surprised to find that it was written in Latin. Glancing over, he saw Arya's was the same. She look at him.

"Latin is a dying language. You know it and I know it so we can read this, but most people wont be able to. They do this so that if we lose them or they get taken, they'll be somewhat useless."

"But the other romance languages are derived from it. Anyone who speaks those can understand some words."

She smirked.

"I can't believe you just called it that."

"Well that's what they are, turd."

"Did you seriously just call me a turd?"

He crossed his arms.

"Yeah. So?"

She rolled her eyes and started reading through her file.

"You are such a child, Eragon."

Instead of responding he elbowed her arm and then opened his own file.

**d-sanitation-b: **I think it's actually Swedish but thank you

**Fughp: **Because in a situation like that, remembering new ones on the spot would be hard and since they didn't say their last names, nothing can really happen. Also, that cover story can't work anymore because it's a month later so the business thing has ended.

**Tamerlain: **I was kind of basing that scene off of when the Urgals slaughtered that village in the first book and how he felt about that.

**Lost Grey Soul: **I think it was just Google Translate or something of the sort.

**Elvendiath: **I'll definitely keep that in mind. I'll try and add in some mind training stuff at some point. Thank you :)

**Harry Potter's Dragon: **After the stories I'm working on.

**CrAyZEeGood: **I'm not really sure yet but I might.

**My Generation: **Lol I haven't decided yet if I'm going to make them detached from the Government or not but I'll clear it up soon. And apparently I used Swedish to write that. Well, remember in the books when he comes upon that village that the Urgals have slaughtered and is like, horrified? Also, he doesn't deal with that total morbid destruction of hundreds of people. He's never seen it. So, I feel like no matter how BA you are, if you see something like that for the first time, your gonna feel the shock and horror. Don't worry though, he'll become desensitized as we progress lol. Also, that is coming :) And I talk to old people about video games a lot. I get where you're coming from though. I just felt like since they had kids who played, they would've known a lot. I know my dad does. He plays video games quite a bit. Lol wow, really long reply. I'm glad you're back!

**Ocadoan: **Lol thanks for telling me the language I was using. And I used a google to have it translated.

**Mark Silverwing: **Lol who? Yeah Eragon is the most likely to break first. And nice :)

**Dracones: **What is Yauzac lol :P Also, I'm going to see the new Bond movie at some point soon because everyone keeps telling me it's epic.

**Eluvita: **Lol I understand. It's interesting how people's taste differ. Some like modern and then some despise modern AU's and only read like, medieval stuff. And I'll put it up after these stories.

**Apple Jaxx: **Yeah I didn't really research anything considering I felt it wasn't really necessary. I did look up what the FBI did though and it said they did do that so I figured it was right considering it was the FBI website lol. But the FBI wasn't anything but a start to his story. It's not going to be brought in again. Also, it wasn't a real cartel, it was Durza and gang pretending to be one so they could do their shit under the radar (sort of). Although I see what you're saying, I just didn't feel like it was really important for it only being in the first three chapters. Then again, I'll know who to go to now if I ever decide to bring anything like that back in lol :) Oh, and this probably makes me look dumb, but what is IRL and IMO?

**So as you might all be able to tell, I haven't really decided much in specific details for the story. I literally come up with stuff as I go. So yeah, the details will be more set when we get further into the story.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ok so this is sort of a filler chapter in a way. Nothing really big happens :P Next one though, a lot of stuff is gonna happen.**

He'd gotten to the twelfth page of his folder when the flight attendant came to speak with them.

"Would you guys like anything to eat or drink?"

Eragon looked up and smiled. The girl was gorgeous.

"Not right now, thank you. But definitely later."

The attendant smiled at him and glanced at Arya.

"You?"

Arya waved her away without even looking.

"No. Leave."

The dark-haired attendant frowned and turned, walking off. He glared at Arya.

"Why did you do that?"

She looked at him.

"Because I didn't want anything."

He frowned.

"I did!"

She rolled her eyes.

"What, her number?"

Eragon gave her a face that said, "obviously!"

"Yes! Did you see those legs?"

"Oh my gosh would you just keep it in your pants when you're near me?"

He tilted his head and grinned.

"Are you sure you aren't jealous, Arya?"

She looked him dead in the eye and he backed off a bit. When she spoke her tone was neutral.

"Yes. That's totally what I am Eragon. I'm so jealous that you aren't objectifying me and watching my ass as I walk. Please, do."

He was wary now that he'd pissed her off. But still, he couldn't help it so he leaned in close.

"Well maybe you aren't jealous but I must say, you look sexy when you get all aggravated."

Without word Arya's hand shot to his throat and cut off his breath. He gagged slightly as she shoved him away and his head bumped rather roughly into the window. She then returned to her file as if nothing had happened at all. He shook his head to clear it and then returned to his own file as well, trying to nurse his ego a bit.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She had to admit, she wasn't used to being talked to with such boldness. She also realized that she didn't truly know Eragon that well. When she'd first met him, he was grief-stricken and ready to die. Then as they trained, he'd behaved himself because there was no other option. But now she could see his true colors. He was around others which meant she couldn't do much about anything and he knew it. Of course she thought part of his being such a tool was due to the fact he was trying to keep his mind off of what he'd seen. Still, it was a bit nerve-wracking to know that he had the balls to improvise things out of the blue that would make things super awkward.

He wasn't afraid of her like everyone else. And he was a player. It didn't really matter to her because she knew she could take care of herself. But it was annoying to watch stupid girls fall into his trap. She grinned subtly. Next time he tried to do that he was going to get a nice surprise.

Since it was a ten hour flight, she read through her file five times and then was able to set it down and go over everything in her head. Eragon on the other hand was busy trying to console the flight attendant, who she'd pissed off, every time she walked by. But it was to no avail.

As soon as the plane landed, she stood and stretched her limbs. They'd jumped ahead three hours so here it was around ten o'clock. Walking swiftly off the plane and through the airport, she brushed past several people in order to get to her bags. They had to wait for fifteen minutes to see theirs and they grabbed them quickly, heading for the parking lot where Saphira had arranged for a car to be waiting. When she saw it was a black Camaro ZR1 she grinned. That girl knew her too well. She unlocked the trunk before the rest of the car so that Eragon couldn't hop in the driver's side. When he tried to open the door and failed, he pouted at her.

"Come on! Why can't I drive. This is one of my favorite cars!"

She shook her head.

"Nope. Put your bags in the car and lets go."

She walked to the driver door and unlocked it, sliding inside. After programming the GPS, she backed out of the parking space and drove the speed limit the whole way there. The hotel was only fourteen miles from the airport but they arrived in less than expected. Driving up to the front, a valet walked swiftly to open her door. She gave him a twenty and he smiled, taking her keys.

"We'll take your bags up to your room."

She thanked him and they headed inside. Arya looked around appreciatively. The hotel was beautiful. Eragon whistled.

"Wow. I am really glad I met you or I'd never have seen this."

She walked to the front desk.

"Two rooms for Elise Gardet and Noah Pelk."

The older man behind the counter smiled and typed their names into the computer. He frowned, excusing himself before returning moments later with a woman at his side. She smiled at both of them.

"It seems we were not aware travel agents would be coming today. We have upgraded your rooms from two Club Kings to Executive. I would give you the Presidential Suite but there is only one."

Eragon grinned.

"Is there a couch?"

"Of course."

"Then we'll take it."

Arya fought the desire to punch him in the face. She'd expected her room to be the place where she could escape from him. Now he would be around 24-7. Arya tried to back-track.

"The Executive Suites are fine."

The manager waved her hand.

"Oh don't worry, it's no trouble. And since you are our special guests, your pricing will be the same as if you were staying in one Club King."

Eragon took the key that she held out.

"Thank you so much. We look forward to seeing your hotel."

With that, Eragon started towards the elevators. The moment the doors closed she had him pinned painfully against the wall.

"You do something like that again and you go back to base. You're finished. Do you understand?"

He nodded and she dropped his arms. Just as the doors opened though, he grinned mischievously at her. She swore silently and waited as an elderly man stepped onto the elevator. They reached the nineteenth floor after stopping almost five times and Eragon practically ran to the room. He slid the key in and the door clicked open. He walked through and she followed. He stood stalk still just inside as he stared at the room. It was magnificent. There was a huge lounge area with a flat-screen television and three rooms separating off that. Inside a bell-hop waited by their bags. She handed him a twenty and he thanked her before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

Eragon spun around in a circle before stopping to look at her.

"Ok, I know you're pissed right now but you have to admit this is amazing."

She grabbed her suitcases and headed for the bedroom.

"Yes."

He stepped in front of her.

"Look. I'm sorry I was an ass. I just have never stayed in a Presidential Suite so I figured this would be my only chance. She sighed.

"It's fine. Get situated and then go to the safe. The combination is 5-7-3-2-5-1."

He seemed to want to say something more but instead got out of her way. She'd almost reached her room when he called her back.

"Wait, Saphira said our stuff was waiting for us in our rooms. Since we switched, we won't have what we need."

She shook her head.

"It's fine. Saphira intended this. The fact that it told them we were from was travel agency was her doing. I'm guessing she knew you'd jump on the Presidential Suite so she had our stuff put there."

"That's quite a risk."

Arya shook her head.

"Not really. This room is way too expensive for basically everyone so it wouldn't have been given out to anyone for a while. If we'd stuck with the Executive rooms, we still could've gone to the Presidential Suite and got everything out."

Eragon chuckled.

"That girl is smart."

Arya walked continued on.

"That she is."

As soon as she stepped into the room she wanted to fall on the bed. Not that she'd be able to sleep, but it looked like the most comfortable thing on earth. Instead she opened her suitcases and took fifteen minutes to unpack everything. She returned to the lounge area and found Eragon sorting through a mass of things on the floor. He'd set two silver Beretta 92FS's to the side and was in the process of putting a few bundles of cash back in. There were two Ontario Spec Plus Marine Combat knives next to the guns. Piled to the right were twenty boxes of ammo. Arya noticed a slip of paper and picked it up.

_Good luck you to. I so called you guys ending up here. You're welcome. Saphira_

Arya smirked and dropped it to Eragon.

"See."

He read the note and laughed.

"Good call. What are we supposed to do with all of this? I don't think we could carry weapons everywhere."

Arya put their passports inside the safe.

"Hand me a gun." When he did she released the clip. Seeing there was no ammo in it she opened one of the boxes and loaded the gun. She checked the safety and then looked back at him. "As of now, put everything else back inside. We don't have to worry about anything right now so best to just play it safe. We need to rest for tonight and then we'll start our search in the morning."

Eragon looked at the other handgun with a frown.

"I wish they would've let us choose our weapons."

She shook her head.

"This weapon's reliability is unmatched."

He shrugged.

"Mine's better."

"What is yours?"

He grinned and loaded his own Beretta.

"Colt 1911 A1 .45 caliber standard with seven-round magazine capacity. It's custom engraved and nickel-plated with an ivory handle."

She sighed.

"In a weapons test the Beretta would win."

He grinned cheekily.

"But in an awesomeness test the Colt would win. And I tinkered with mine a bit so it's basically perfect. In a test between the MY Colt and a Beretta, MY Colt would totally win."

She chuckled.

"We'll have to see about that. But wouldn't it have been pretty messed up in the blast?"

His face fell and she wished she'd just kept her mouth shut. But then he laughed.

"No! I loaned it to Garrow. . . . ." He frowned. "It's in Garrow's floor safe. He was going to replace the grip for me because I'd cracked it."

"Well then you can get it after this mission."

He shook his head sadly, closing the door to the safe and standing.

"No. I can't."

"Because of Garrow's son?"

Eragon nodded and dropped to the couch.

"I'm gonna catch some sleep. Night, Arya."

She watched him for a moment and then turned to her room.

"Night."

She lay in the bed for over two hours without sleeping when she heard a thump. After pulling the weapon from under the pillow next to her, she jumped to her feet and ran to the door. Slowing as she reached it, she opened it carefully and peered outside. Seeing nothing, she walked into the lounge area and looked around. When she noticed what had made the noise she sighed. Eragon was just sitting up from falling off of the couch he'd been sleeping on. She dropped her outstretched arm, hiding the gun. He winced and looked around, noticed her, and winced again.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to."

She smirked.

"I wouldn't think you would try and fall off the couch, Eragon."

He chuckled and stood, dropping back on top of the cushions.

"What're you doing up?"

She shrugged.

"Can't sleep."

He scooted over and patted the seat next to him.

"I'm going to watch some t.v. if you want to join." She started to shake her head but he stood and moved to a chair next to the couch. "There. Now you don't have to sit by me."

She pondered for a moment and then sat where he'd just vacated, tucking the gun next to her.

"Don't you want to go back to sleep?"

He shook his head.

"No. I'm too wide awake now."

He clicked on the television and started flipping through channels. He stopped on a Spanish Soap Opera and grinned. She frowned.

"I'm not staying out here to watch to watch this."

He sighed and hung his feet over the side of his chair.

"You're no fun."

As he said this he changed the channel and stopped immediately.

"Castle!"

Arya made a face.

"What is that?"

He looked at her like she was crazy.

"You've never seen Castle?"

"No."

He turned up the volume and dropped the remote back in his chair.

"Then you're in for a treat."

She didn't exactly believe him but she kept her mouth shut. Ended up that she did rather enjoy it. He looked at her expectantly as the show ended.

"So?"

She shrugged.

"It was good."

He smirked.

"You loved it."

She rolled her eyes and stood, walking to the kitchen and pulling out a complementary mini box of cereal. She opened it and returned to the couch. Eragon chuckled.

"No milk?"

She shrugged.

"I like it without."

He leaned forward to see what she was eating.

"Eww, how can you eat Cheerios without milk? They're so bland."

She put a handful in her mouth and finished chewing before she answered.

"Because I think it tastes good."

He shook his head at her.

"You're crazy."

She ignored him and turned her attention to the television. The commercials were over and another episode of Castle began. Eragon smiled like a kid on Christmas and gave it his full attention. By the time this episode had ended it was four in the morning. She looked over to find Eragon sprawled in his seat. His head hung off one arm rest and his feet the other. She chuckled and stood, dropping the box in the trash and returning to her room to try to get a couple hours of sleep.

She woke the next morning around eight and didn't bother changing from her sweats and t-shirt yet. Instead she opened her door and found that Eragon was already up. He was standing by his suitcase, bare back to her, as he started to unbutton one of his shirts. She watched him for a moment, appreciating the cut muscles of his back. After a moment Eragon finished unbuttoning and swung the shirt around, sliding his arms through the sleeves.

"It's rude to stare."

She jolted slightly but caught herself.

"I was actually just seeing if you'd be able to figure out that shirt. Took you long enough."

He turned around, the front still hanging open, and grinned.

"Are you sure you just don't like looking at all this?"

She shook her head and walked into the kitchen.

"You should wear an undershirt or you'll get uncomfortable."

He groaned and quickly pulled out a white tee from his suitcase, pulling off his shirt and putting on the tee. Once he'd finished and put the dress shirt back on, he pulled out the vest and put it on over the shirt. He grabbed a random tie but Arya caught glimpse of the color and shook her head.

"No." She walked over to his suitcase and pulled out a skinny black and white striped tie and handed it to him. He took it and wrapped it around his neck. She watched in amusement as he tried and failed several times to tie it. Shaking her head, she took it back from him. "You seriously can't tie a tie? Were you taught nothing as a child?"

His face fell a little.

"No, I wasn't."

She sighed.

"Eragon I didn't mean to say that." He shrugged and she wrapped the tie around his neck, tying it quickly. After tucking it under the vest, she headed for the kitchen. He rolled his shoulders and tried to get comfortable with the outfit.

"Where are we heading today?"

She pulled down another mini box of cereal and started to eat from it.

"To the business district. But first we have to make an appearance around the hotel. We'll just do a casual run-through and check out all the things it has to offer. Tonight we can eat at the hotel restaurant."

Eragon pulled at his tie.

"Are you going to get dressed?"

She poured the last of the cereal into her hand and ate it before heading back to her room.

"Yes."

She closed the door behind her and walked to her closet. Choosing a pair of black pants and a white blouse, she changed quickly. Lastly she pulled out her Anne Taylor black suit-jacket. She slid on a pair of high-heeled black shoes and pulled her hair into a high pony. When she finished getting ready, she walked back out, taking pride in the fact that Eragon stumbled over air when he saw her.

"You ready?" He nodded and headed for the door but she stopped him. "Wait, you're missing a belt."

He chuckled and walked back to his suitcase.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice. How come you know so much about fashion anyway? It doesn't seem like your thing."

"It's not. I hate dressing up just as much as you but I know what happens when you get lazy. I almost blew a mission because I wore a shirt with the wrong color pants."

He looked at her in disbelief.

"How the hell could that ruin a mission?"

He held up a black belt and she shook her head. Brown. Again she nixed it. When he pulled out a white one she nodded.

"You'd be surprised what suspicious or paranoid people notice. The woman we were watching caught my eye as I walked inside and pulled me to the side. She literally questioned me for ten minutes about who I was and I had to come up with the lie that I was colorblind so that she would back off."

Eragon laughed and opened the door to the hall.

"I really wish I could've seen that."

She placed the 'Do not Disturb' sign on the door and followed him out. They walked to the elevator and stepped on. They had just reached the third floor when it stopped and the doors opened. The moment Arya saw who was waiting she wanted to knock Eragon unconscious. Six girls walked into the elevator and every single one of them had their eye on Eragon. She glanced at him and saw he was flashing a charming smile. She rolled her eyes and moved to the side as they pushed in. Eragon opened his mouth to speak but she took the opportunity to get revenge from earlier. She held out her hand to the closest girl.

"Hi. We are travel agents here from America and we need to conduct interviews with several of the guests. Would you all be interested in sitting down with me and my partner and telling us about your stay?"

Immediately the girl's eyes shot to Eragon before nodding quickly. The others agreed. She grinned.

"Good. We would do it now but Noah here wants to introduce me to his boyfriend."

The girls all did a double-take and then disappointment crossed their faces. Eragon looked like he was about to fall over as he stared openly at her. The girls looked at him but this time it was with a totally different air. The one Arya had spoken with smiled.

"Hey, maybe we can all go shopping sometime later after the interviews."

Arya smiled.

"I'm sure he'd love to do that."

As soon as they reached the lobby the girls walked out giggling and headed for the exit. She headed towards the front desk with Eragon right beside her.

"What the hell? Why would you do that to me?!"

Arya smiled.

"Payback's a bitch. Keep that in mind next time you try to mess with me."

He glared at her as she arrived at the counter. The man there barely looked at them.

"May I help you?"

Immediately a manager walked out. A different one than yesterday's. He smiled.

"Ah, our esteemed guests. Anything you need? I'm Raoul."

Arya looked around.

"We were hoping for somebody to explain to us all there is to do here."

Raoul nodded and pulled out a map from behind the counter.

"Would you rather somebody take you around or would you like to go on your own?"

"We'll manage on our own. Thank you very much." She took the pamphlet from his hands and opened it. "Let's go check out the pool."

**Yes my obsession with Castle goes on and will still be in my stories. I would put it in "An Unwanted Bond" but it wouldn't exactly fit lmao.**

**Mark Silverwing: **I sort of liked it but I got kind of bored after a couple episodes :/

**My Generation: **Lol yeah I know it sort of took away but I felt like it should be done because I don't really describe stuff like that much. Lol yeah me too but I probably would've broken something anyway. Lol nice. Pop-tarts are awesome. Chocolate ones are my favorite.

**Elvendiath: **Yeah it sucks :P and sorry your got cancelled too

**Tsukune08: **Why would he suspect it at all? He wasn't thinking that would happen and she's still much faster. There was no opportunity for him to react.

**Nandon: **Totally agree with you!

**Apple Jaxx: **Gotcha. And I totally get what you're saying and agree with you I just don't really want to go back and fix it now. I will try to do so in the future :) And thanks for that image now I'm going to go and have some nightmares. Jk jk jk. I'm fine. I've read and seen worse it's just funny to me to read in a review. And I know you aren't bashing me. Even if you were, it's totally your right to share your opinion. And thank you for reviewing. I'm going to try and be less lazy in my research now :)


	11. Chapter 11

**First of all, anyone who caught my supernatural reference last chapter, major props. Like, major. And I'd just like to say that Arya isn't jealous although I guess I didn't do a good job of showing that. She's just a bitch as of right now.**

**I have a friend that just posted an awesome story on here. It's called "Switching Lanes" and the author is Elemental Dragon Slayer. Seriously, this story will be awesome. Check it out!**

They walked out of the hotel into the open and stopped. It was incredible. And big. The water glistened brightly in the sunlight as people strolled along the water in their swimsuits or lazed around on pool chairs laid out in a pattern around the pool. The weather wasn't necessarily hot, but it was warmer than normal and so people were taking advantage of the day. Eragon shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Too bad it's so damned cold or we could go swimming later."

"These people are swimming."

"Well these people are crazy. This is not swimming weather."

Arya walked around the curved edge of the water.

"I'm assuming the water is heated. Besides, it's almost 75 degrees out right now. The weather here is rather unpredictable sometimes."

They continued to stroll along the outside of the pool while acting as if they were inspecting with practiced eyes. Arya stopped halfway and crouched down, dipping her fingers into the water.

"Yeah it's heated." Standing, she pulled out a bluetooth and attached it to her hear. "Headquarters." It dialed and she walked out of range of anyone's hearing, Eragon following. "Saphira do you have anything for us?"

"Yeah I'm sending an address to your phone. Suspicious activity was noted in this area two days ago and was reported to the police but for some reason the file was buried. I dug into the archives and there could possibly be a few dirty cops in the police force here. What's more likely though is that Galbator- you know, that's just an obnoxious name to say. I think I'm gonna go with Galby. So, I'm guessing Galby's hacker got into the system."

Arya slid her phone from her back pocket, unlocking it and looking at the address.

"What was the report?"

"Several men were seen entering into an abandoned building with crates. The witness said they looked like the 'criminal type.' I'm not sure what that means exactly but it deserves a checking out. To make sure you look legit I'm sending two more addresses for you to check out."

Arya started walking back towards the front doors.

"Ok thanks Saphira. I'll keep you updated." With that she hung up and looked to Eragon. "Change of plans. Let's go."

He looked around,

"You think we seemed, like, inspectory enough?"

She raised and eyebrow.

"Inspectory?"

He smirked as they pushed through the doors.

"So where are we headed?"

"Further into the city."

"Are we talking slums?"

She nodded and they headed for their rooms but the manager caught sight of them. He scurried over with a worried look.

"Did you not enjoy the pool? Is there anything I could do for you?"

Eragon smiled reassuringly.

"Actually, it was more than expected. We'll return tonight after seeing how you are located relative to the area's attractions. You are in good standing as of right now so there truly is no need for worry."

The man smiled in relief and nodded before returning to his office. Arya rolled her eyes and they left the lobby, stopping by their rooms so as to retrieve their weapons. They each put a shoulder holster on under their jackets and slid the weapons in. Returning downstairs they had the valet get their car. While they waited Arya watched the cars flashing by in the distance. _So many people don't even know what's happening right beneath their noses. . . . _She sighed. If they failed and Galbatorix was able to destroy millions, this freedom would be ripped from all of them. Despair and panic would ensue as Galbatorix used fear to control the world. Looking at it in perspective like that was actually terrifying. Their car arrived and she shook herself out of her thoughts. This was definitely not the time. Not when the man next to her was such a wild card. He could ruin or save them and she had yet to decide which he would choose.

She walked around the side and took the keys. Eragon stuck his tongue out and got in the passenger seat. As soon as the door closed Arya pulled away and tossed her phone to him.

"Plug that address into the GPS."

"Say please." He said it cheekily and she wanted to slap him. Instead she just waited patiently and finally he started to input the data. "You're still no fun."

"And you're immature."

She followed the GPS until they arrived about two blocks from their destination. The buildings were mostly brick, broken down by wear and age. She parked the car and pulled took out the keys. He frowned.

"Ok not trying to contradict your thought process but are you seeing where we are? Look at what we're wearing. Look at the car. We aren't going to get very far before the car is stripped or stolen. And we stick out like a sore thumb."'

She reached into the back seat and pulled out a briefcase.

"I parked in front of an ATM. They have cameras and nobody's dumb enough to do that right in front of one. Our cover is property inspectors. We're checking three of the abandoned buildings around this area."

He looked outside at the ATM and grinned.

"Smart."

"I know." She led the way as they received untrusting stares and glances. They reached one of the addresses. A building more decrepit that the others around them. Arya stopped the door. "Stand to my right and block the view. I'll have this open in a minute."

He positioned himself and grumbled.

"Why couldn't Saphira drop a key off or something?"

She leaned over and quickly slid her lock picks into the lock.

"It would be too suspicious if somebody dropped something off just before we came."

"I mean at the hotel."

"It would be a waste of recourses when we can easily do it ourselves." She pushed the door open and they stepped into an old building that had supposedly been deserted for years. It smelled musty and as if the wood was rotting in the walls. "We'll take a walk through real quick and hit the next before we get to the actual target."

He nodded and they started to make their way down the hall that was only lit by the sun streaming through ripped up blinds. The carpeting was worn through to the point that in some places you could even see the concrete underneath. It turned out to be some old office space that had been flooded. Water stains marked the walls and the paint was chipped and discolored from a light tan. They made it through the first three floors without incident but as they walked up the stairs to the third they heard the pounding of feet. She unbuttoned her jacket but other than that left her weapon hidden. Eragon pushed the door open slowly and came to face a terrified little boy. He looked at them for a moment and then sprinted back the way he'd come.

"¡Mami! Personas extrañas están aquí!" (Mommy! Strange people are here!)

"¡Ven aquí, Phillip! Ve con tu hermana!" (Get in here, Phillip! Go in with your sister!)

Arya heard a shotgun cock and she looked over to find Eragon reaching for his weapon. She gripped his hand to stop him.

"No. You'll only scare her."

He looked dubiously at her as she dropped his hand but did nothing to disobey. A woman entered the hallway, gun barrel aimed at Eragon's chest. Her eyes were slightly teared up as she spoke.

"Por favor, sólo nos dejan. Saldremos de aquí en poco tiempo. No llame a la policía. ¡Por favor!" (Please, just leave us. We'll be out of here in no time. Don't call the police. Please!)

Arya held up her hands and Eragon followed suit. Looking at the woman she could tell she wasn't a killer. Sadness filled her at the lady's predicament. _Forced to take your family into a place like this. . . . I couldn't imagine it. _Shaking her head she spoke calmly and soothingly.

"No estamos aquí para deshacerse de ti. Por favor, sólo hablar con nosotros." (We aren't here to get rid of you. Please, just speak with us.)

The lady's hands shook with the weapon and Arya motioned for her to lower it. When she finally did Arya took a slight step forward. The lady stepped back swiftly.

"¡Atrás!" (Stay back!)

Arya stopped moving and held out her hands.

"Vale, vale, lo siento. ¿Puede usted decirme por qué estás aquí?" (Okay, okay, sorry. Can you tell me why you're here?)

The woman's eyes darkened.

"Debido a esos hijos de puta rompió en nuestros hogares y nos hizo salir! Sé que no era dueño de las habitaciones, pero no estábamos haciendo daño nadie. Nos espantó a cabo durante la noche, cuando nadie estaba mirando." (Because those bastards broke into our homes and made us leave! I know we didn't own those rooms but we weren't hurting no one. Shooed us out during the night when nobody was looking.)

Arya sighed and Eragon took over there.

"¿Hay más gente que vive aquí?" (Are there more people living here?)

The lady jerked back like she'd forgotten Eragon was there. Instead of answering she retreated even further. _She's afraid of him. . . ._ Turning to Eragon she nodded towards the door.

"Go to the stairwell and wait for me there." His eyes became stubborn but she just shook her head. "You're scaring her. Just go."

He clenched his jaw.

"Fine. Be careful."

Arya nodded and he turned and walked back. She looked back at the woman and smiled.

"Podemos hablar ahora?" (Can we speak now?)

The woman looked uncertain but she nodded and walked into an office that had been made into living quarters. Arya followed, buttoning up her jacket again, and stopped just inside the room. The lady had sat down on a makeshift chair which was a trash bag full of clothing. She motioned for Arya to sit on an old office chair. After doing so the woman waited. Arya smiled warmly.

"Mi nombre es Elisa." (My name is Elise.)

"Amelia."

"¿Hay otras personas que viven en este edificio?" (Are there other's living in this building?)

"Sí, varios. Había muchas familias que viven en nuestro último edificio pero fueron expulsados a la calle también. Nos están distribuidos en este nivel y los siete siguientes." (Yes, several. There were many families living in our last building but they were kicked to the streets as well. We are spread out on this level and the next seven.)

Arya continued to speak with her, gaining as much information as she could about the men that had taken over her previous home. As soon as she'd acquired all she believed she could, she stood.

"Gracias, Amelia. Y no te preocupes. Mi amigo y yo estábamos sólo recorriendo el edificio. Estamos tratando de encontrar un lugar adecuado para hacer una sesión de fotos. Voy a elegir un edificio diferente. Es éste uno es inseguro." (Thank you, Amelia. And don't worry. My friend and I were only touring the building. We're trying to find a suitable place to do a photo shoot. I'll choose a different building. Claim this one is unsafe.)

Amelia beamed and stood, hugging her tightly. As uncomfortable as she was she returned it. Pulling away, the woman smiled brightly.

"¡Gracias! Gracias, Elise. No me olvidaré de su bondad." (Thank you! Thank you, Elise. I won't forget this kindness.)

"Adiós, Amelia."

The woman waved and Arya returned to the hallway and to Eragon. He pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against.

"You can't just send me away like that, Arya! I know you don't like me but I'm on this mission with you for a reason."

She walked past him, going down the stairs.

"Did you not see her reaction to you? She wouldn't have spoken if you hadn't left."

He scoffed.

"Yeah? How would you know?"

"Eragon did you notice there was no man? She had scarring up her arms. She was abused. Some women who've been abused have a very strong aversion to men." He was silent for a moment and then apologized. She changed the subject. "Ok, next building is also abandoned but I'm guessing squatters are living there as well so we can just go in the very front and stand there for a bit."

"Fine. What did she tell you?"

"Two nights ago men with guns burst into the building they were living and waited till night to force them to leave. I'm guessing to avoid having any witnesses. These people can't go to the police because they were there illegally. She says one man stuck out though. She called him 'diablo rojo.'"

"Red devil. . . " He froze. "Durza."

The look in his eye's worried her and she stepped in front of him, gripping his arms tightly.

"Stop it, Eragon. Keep your head clear or I'm sending you back."

He glared at her but finally his eyes cleared and he nodded.

"I know, I'm sorry."

Turning she opened the door and locked it before closing it again. They continued to walk and it took five minutes to reach the next building. As she picked the lock she looked at him.

"I had to tell Amelia we were looking for a place to have a photo shoot by the way. Didn't want her worried we'd be taking her home."

"Good thinking."

"Yeah. If we run into anyone in here it's the same."

"What about our target?"

"No we revert to the original. There's better places in less shady areas to have photo shoots. Professionals will be too suspicious."

She pushed open the door and they stepped inside. There was no noise from above but that didn't mean much. Arya leaned against the wall beside the door, preparing to wait for about twenty to thirty minutes. Eragon paced around for five of those minutes until she snapped.

"Will you just sit still?"

He raised his eyebrows at her tone.

"You know, you could lighten up a bit." She rolled her eyes but said nothing. He continued to watch her before walking over and standing before her. "Seriously, why are you such a hard ass?"

She didn't look at his eyes. For some reason when she did that it was harder to lie.

"Because it's what the job requires."

"No. This job requires discipline."

"Something you don't have."

He shook his head and smiled slightly.

"You don't get it, do you? I am capable of being serious one moments and a spaz the next. It all depends on the situation that I'm in. You, on the other hand, are serious at all times, even when humor would be a more acceptable state."

_Oh I get it. It's just way easier my way._

"Eragon you are not capable of changing your emotions on a whim. You use humor and sarcasm to cover up pain or fear or whatever negative emotion you're feeling."

He sighed and walked back and started pacing again.

"And you use walls and rocket launchers to keep all your emotions at bay and people from getting close."

Instead of responding she just leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. They waited in silence for another fifteen minutes before she figured it'd been long enough. Pushing off the wall she opened the door and they made to their way to their final destination. This time Arya paused and listened at the door for several moments.

"There's at least three in there. Probably four." She pushed her picks in the lock. As loudly as she could she unlocked the door and pushed it open. As she did she whispered to him, "We are just property inspectors. Act like it."

They'd barely moved inside when two men stepped around the corner. One, who was around six foot with shaggy black hair and a face marred by scars was holding a ARX-160. The other had an M4A1 and he looked like he was from the area.

"Who the hell are you?"

She stepped back as if in fear but Eragon took it a step further by yelping and pulling her in front of him. _Seriously. _The men lowered their guns slightly and laughed.

"Little pussy. Using his girlfriend as a shield."

The other chuckled and looked Arya up and down.

"If I were you, I'd drop that loser."

She looked back and gave Eragon a death glare.

"Planning on it."

The first man got serious again.

"So who are you."

Arya held out her briefcase and looked nervously at the gun, making it seem as if she was still scared.

"Property Inspectors. We're seeing if these building can be improved and turned into profitable businesses."

The second man opened the briefcase and rummaged through the paperwork for several minutes. While he did that she peered into the room they'd exited from. She could see two others in front of crates as they moved guns from one to the next. _Gotcha._

"These papers are legit, Sampson."

The first man nodded.

"Alright well you're gonna have to come back here later. Say in, like, a week or so." He grinned at Arya. "But you can come back any time you want. We'll have some fun."

Arya nodded as awkwardly as she could and Eragon continued to keep her in front of him. They turned and walked outside. The moment the door was closed they both unbuttoned their jackets and unclasped their guns. Turning, Eragon shoved the door open again and they sprinted in, guns drawn. Eragon's voice rang out loud and cold.

"On your knees! Now!" One of the men raised his gun but Eragon fired with perfect precision, right through his heart. "Guns down!"

The others hesitated before slowly lowering and dropping their guns. She moved further into the room.

"Kick them over here."

They did as they were told, all pushing their weapons away. Sampson looked at the other man they'd spoken with.

"Their papers are legit, Tanner? Yeah?"

He shrugged, face furious.

"They were."

"Dipshit!"

"Maybe you should do the work sometime then!"

Eragon got fed up quick.

"Shut up! Both of you. Where's Durza?"

Sampson looked surprised before completely masking his features.

"You're not the cops, are you?"

"Nope. Durza?"

Tanner laughed.

"No, he's not a cop either."

Sampson punched his friend.

"Stop being an idiot."

Eragon walked forward and pressed his gun to Tanner's head.

"Where is Durza!"

She watched Eragon's demeanor change. _Shit. _Taking advantage, Tanner slammed his forearm in front of him, trying to knock Eragon's gun from his hand. Quick as lightning Eragon smacked his arm away and cracked the gun across Tanner's jaw. The man fell onto his back and Eragon pressed the gun to his kneecap.

"Where's Durza!"

Blood dripped down Tanner's face as he stared at Eragon.

"I don't know I swear!"

Eragon had done exactly what she warned him not to. He'd let his emotions overwhelm his mind.

"Relax, Eragon." When he didn't take his eyes from Tanner she stepped forward and gripped his arm. "Eragon! Back off. Now."

He was still for several moments before taking a deep breath and stepping away. He still kept his gun trained on the man. Arya turned back to the group.

"If you don't know where Durza is then what's the plan? What are you doing here?"

Tanner opened his mouth but Sampson yelled at him.

"Dude, shut it!"

Eragon moved swiftly and knocked Sampson out with one strike. He looked to Tanner.

"Continue."

The man nodded.

"Yeah well we were going to guard the weapons until the time of a meeting or something."

Arya was suspicious that he spoke to them so hastily.

"Why do you betray your friends so easily?"

Tanner laughed.

"These ass holes aren't my friends. I'm a hired gun. They needed me because I know the area."

Arya swore and both Eragon and Tanner looked at her in question. She shook her head and glanced at Eragon.

"They lied to him. They were gonna kill him the moment the time came for whatever was happening to happen."

Tanner's eyes widened and Arya looked to the last man who'd been silent the entire time.

"And you are?" When he didn't answer she rolled her eyes and turned to Eragon. "He's the one we're going to need to get talking. Better get comfortable. We'll be here for a while."

**Ok, this is super random but am I the only writer that wonders why certain people don't review or even read certain stories? Like how to people choose which story to read and which ones they don't want to bother with? I'm not complaining because seriously, you guys are the best reviewers ever. But sometimes I read other people's reviews and I wonder what keeps certain people from certain stories. I feel like I offended people I don't even know and it bugs the living daylights out of me. Lol so can anyone answer this? **

**Tamerlain85: **Yes this is definitely ExA. It will just take a while.

**Dracones: **Lmao I do too :D

**Tsukune08: **Because he's supposed to be immature lol

**Mark Silverwing: **Lol Castle will always be in every one of my fics :) and I do that yes. I can eat cereal in any way and it's still good.

**My Generation: **The whole point though is that Arya isn't jealous. At least not yet. She really just doesn't care. He's pushing her buttons and she's responding in the way she knows how to. He's out of line and she's a bitch haha. Yeah I don't like when people do put characters together who are obviously not together at all in any way. Like, at all. It bothers me to no end. Like Eragon and Murtagh. No. Just. . . no. I'm not trying to offend anybody who does like stuff like that but they're brothers. . . . And I don't like non-canon pairings anyway. But I haven't read any so there aren't any I can suggest. Did you try narrowing it down to a pairing that actually is right?

**Eluvita: **Lol I feel like I messed up somewhere because Arya isn't jealous but most people think that :P She's just kind of a bitch and to her he's out of line. And I totally know what you mean! Holy crap I love when I get that into a story and it's like, linked to my own emotions. And thank you so much for saying that because that's awesome to hear :D


	12. Chapter 12

**READ:**

**Hey so I'm going to be posting a new story just to see if anyone likes it. It won't be written until after these but I want to know if it's even worth pursuing. Review it and tell me if you think it's a keeper of if I should think of something else for after. Don't worry I haven't forgotten FtP. **

**Oh and um, yeah updating is going to start getting a bit janky (As you've all probably already noticed). I'm so busy these days I barely have time to do anything. Updates will return to normal after this semester of college but I'm getting so much homework and I have so many tests and quizzes that a lot of my time is now being used by that. : /**

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

Orik along with four more of their men entered the building around six-thirty. They'd waited there since the morning and his body ached from sitting in the rickety wooden chair that had been one of the few seats available. Arya had sat across from him in silence for hours at a time, only speaking when she was trying to get either Sampson or the other to divulge what they knew. Neither would. Tanner had been his only source of entertainment as he shot wisecracks at Sampson, trying to piss him off. But still, he wasn't focused too much on them. After about the fifth time of the two men refusing to speak, he'd turned his attention to Arya.

Something kept catching his eye. Whenever anyone was looking it was gone. But when she thought nobody was watching, she seemed. . .tired. The emerald green still shimmered with beauty but they were sad, exhausted, and . . alone. That was no way to live. He knew that he'd been a complete pain in the ass almost the entire trip but that was because he'd gotten tired of her incessant bitchiness. Still, him being a tool wasn't helping the situation in the least. He'd tried earlier. Tried to speak with her in seriousness but she'd instantly switched to defensive mode.

He turned his attention back to the present as Arya quickly went over the entire situation in detail. When she finished, Eragon watched in interest as Orik pulled a metal, rectangular box out of his pocket. It was revealed to be a case that was holding a syringe. Sampson swore and jerked away.

"No! You can't! They'll kill me if I talk! Please!"

Eragon frowned.

"What is it?"

Orik flicked it a couple of times with his finger, clearing the bubbles from the blue liquid.

"It's a truth serum."

He looked at him skeptically.

"Those are real?"

Orik looked at him like he was stupid.

"Of course they're real." Orik looked to two of the men. "Restrain him."

Sampson tried to stand but they shoved him back to his knees. With swift precision Orik slid the needle into the man's skin and injected the medicine. Stepping back, they only had to wait a couple moments before Sampson seemed to become drowsy. It was then that Orik began questioning him. Eragon caught Arya's eyes and she nodded towards the hall. He stood and met her in the entryway.

"What?"

"We can head back now. They'll take care of this."

She pushed out the door and he followed. Cold air cut across his skin and he crossed his arms to keep himself warm.

"So we're allowed to use that stuff?"

Arya smiled as if amused.

"It's not truth serum."

"What? Then what is it?"

"I mixture of alcohol and added ingredients that cause a slight burning sensation."

He looked at her for a moment before laughing.

"That works?"

She shrugged as they passed by the first building they'd entered.

"Most of the time. We've built it up so much that they all know it and are warned of it. They try to build up immunity to it but they fail because they don't know what it is. So they're already wary of it and believe it to be real. It's like a placebo. They think they're being given a truth serum and so that's what their subconscious perceives. It also helps when the recipient has a low IQ. If they're quick they'll realize what's happening."

He continued to chuckle as they reached their car.

"That's seriously brilliant. Who thought that up?"

"Saphira."

Shaking his head, he slid into the passenger seat.

"I need to hug her next time I see her."

They rode back to the hotel and he hopped out of the car, excited to go and sit down on the couch and just relax. Arya handed the keys off to the valet and followed him to the elevator. He pressed the button to their floor and leaned against the wall. After a couple seconds he glanced at her. She was resting her head against the wall and looking at the ceiling. She spoke without looking at him.

"What?"

He shook his head and turned away.

"Nothing."

"Obviously it's something."

"I . . . well. . .I was just wondering how you . . you know, cope."

"Cope? With what?"

"Everything. Like, just this job and stuff."

Her featured clouded but revealed nothing.

"Same as everyone else."

He tilted his head and looked at her.

"Well that's obviously not true."

She barely glanced at him as if she didn't care.

"Yeah? How do you figure?"

"Most people vent. Expressing themselves through actions or by talking to others. You're so closed off all the time and you don't talk to anyone. Doesn't that take its toll?"

She looked coldly at him.

"What is this sudden fascination with how I express myself?"

He smiled not unkindly.

"Just curious as to the stability of my partner. You worry that I will let emotions rule over me and you watch out for it. You keep me in check. If I don't know your state of mind, how am I supposed to trust you're always acting in the best interest of everyone?"

"I don't allow emotions to control any part of my life Eragon."

He pondered her answer as the doors opened and they returned to their room. But as soon as they stepped inside and the door closed he turned, coming face to face with her. Only inches separated them and he heard her breath catch in surprise.

"I believe you think you do."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Meaning?"

For some reason being this close was causing his heart to race but he ignored it. He really was curious.

"No one can shut their feelings off completely. You can trap everything inside and shove it where the sun don't shine but that doesn't mean it's gone. I see it. It's just behind the surface whenever you aren't focused on holding it back."

Instead of becoming angry as he thought she might, she just seemed interested.

"You're clever. And not as ignorant as I expected. But tell me, why is venting better than what I choose to do? You burden others with your problems while I keep them to myself."

"It's not a burden to the people who matter. They want to help."

"Who would you suggest I talk to, Eragon?"

Her tone was rhetorical. She didn't think there was anyone. But he answered anyway with a smile.

"You could always try me."

With a last raise of his eyebrows, he turned away and removed his jacket. He unstrapped the holster and rested it across the back of the couch. There was silence for a while before she spoke again, the topic totally unrelated.

"We'll go eat at the one of the restaurants and Saphira will get back to us with any news."

He smirked, his back still turned to her. He'd let it go for now.

"Sounds good." Once they both removed their weapons they headed back down the stairs to the lobby. This time Eragon left his suit jacket in the room. "What's the restaurant called?"

"Senso."

"Type of food?"

"Mediterranean."

When they reached the lobby she made her way to the front desk. The manager came out immediately.

"What can I do for you?"

She looked around.

"We're dining at Senso tonight. Do you have any suggestions in the way of what we should get?"

Nodding the man walked around the desk and started to rattle off dishes served. Most Eragon hadn't ever tried. The manager stopped by and looked around the restaurant. It was full to the brim with not even a small table open. Eragon glanced at the manger who seemed nervous. Arya crossed her arms.

"We'll come back tomorrow."

She started to turn but the manager quickly adjusted.

"No, no. No need for that! One moment!" He motioned for one of the waiters to come over and started speaking in Spanish. "Ir a buscar en los cuartos traseros. Si alguien está ahí, les ofrecemos todo lo que necesita para conseguir que se vayan. ¿Entiendes?" (Go look in the back rooms. If somebody is there, offer them whatever you need to to get them to leave. Understand?)

"Sí, sí." (yes, yes)

The manager started to turn back but stopped.

"Espera. Sólo asegúrese de que está dentro de lo razonable." (Wait. Just be sure it's within reason.)

The waiter nodded and disappeared into the back. The manager smiled.

"Your table will be ready in a moment."

Arya nodded her waiter returned within minutes and waved them forward. As soon as they were seated menus were placed before them. A new waiter walked out and smiled.

"I am Sebastian." He shook Eragon's hand with a strong grip and then turned to Arya. His face changed to wonder and when she reached to shake his outstretched hand he turned her's and kissed it softly. "If I may say, your eyes are strikingly beautiful."

Arya smiled back and nodded.

"Thank you very much, Sebastian."

Something in Eragon burned and he frowned, his eyes narrowing. Arya met his gaze and her own became confused at his expression. He immediately cleared it and picked up his menu, searching it for something he recognized. Meanwhile the waiter continued to speak with Arya, a grin placed on his face. Eragon shifted in his seat. He really shouldn't care at all who spoke with her. It was just. . . that dude wasn't unattractive. He was like one of those foreign dudes that would exchange into your high school and be hated by the guys because all the girls wanted him.

Ignoring their conversation he found what he wished to order and set down his menu. Sebastian, not the inattentive waiter, smiled at him.

"Have you decided on what you want?"

Eragon nodded and spoke his order in fluent Spanish. Sebastian's eyebrows raised.

"¿Habla español con fluidez?" (Do you speak Spanish fluently.)

"Sí." (yes.)

Sebastian seemed to be doubtful and he spoke again in Spanish.

"¿Aprendió por su trabajo o en la escuela? ¿O es sólo un hobby?" (Did you learn for your job or in school? Or is this just a hobby?)

Eragon wanted to smile smugly but instead he just responded politely.

"Tengo una habilidad especial para ciertos idiomas. Aprendí español en la escuela, aunque." (I have a certain knack for languages. I learned Spanish in school though.)

Sebastian grinned and nodded.

"Very good." he then turned to Arya. "And what would you like?"

Eragon was now thoroughly pissed off. Sebastian had turned that on him and applauded him as though he was a child winning a prize. A hint of a smile was on Arya's lips as she ordered as well. He took their menus when he returned to the kitchen. Arya gave Eragon an amused smirk.

"What was that?"

Eragon played dumb.

"What?"

"Oh don't even. You were showing off."

"Was not."

She shook her head and looked down at her phone. Her face turned from amused to concerned. He leaned forward in his chair.

"What is it?"

"When our food comes, eat fast."

She didn't elaborate any more. When Sebastian brought out their food he seemed smug. But when he tried to speak with Arya again she answered with less interest. He ended up leaving after a couple moments. Eragon grinned and ate as quickly as possible. He wished he could savor it because it was delicious but he was more interested in what was happening back with Orik.

They finished quickly and Arya told Sebastian to bring the bill and she placed her card in the booklet. As they were walking out Sebastian placed his hand on Arya's arm very lightly. Still, Eragon was surprised when she froze. Her eyes darkened significantly but she cleared them before Sebastian noticed. The man smiled charmingly.

"What're you doing tomorrow night?"

_Seriously. _Eragon watched in interest as Arya forced herself to relax and look at the man.

"I'm busy."

Sebastian tilted his head and seemed like he was trying to search her eyes. Eragon coughed to cover his snort. _Good luck with that. Tool. _

"Are you sure?"

_Oh, come on. _Arya looked apologetically at Sebastian.

"I'm sorry, I have a boyfriend."

"Ah, I see. Well either way, it was wonderful to meet somebody as beautiful as you."

Arya smiled.

"So full of compliments."

Sebastian held out his hands.

"What can I say? It's in my blood."

Eragon rolled his eyes. Arya chuckled and turned.

"We'll see you around, Sebastian."

They left the restaurant and headed for the exit. Surprisingly, when their car was brought up, Arya handed him the keys.

"Seriously?"

She nodded and slid into the passenger seat.

"Yeah I need to check something and speak with Saphira. I also want to see if you can even drive."

"I can drive."

"You know what I mean."

He turned the key in the ignition and grinned as it's supercharged V8 engine roared to life.

"Beautiful."

He pulled out of the circle drive, shifting gears smoothly while fighting his desire to take the car to her limits. Seriously, zero to sixty in 3.9 seconds, that's damn fast. He followed the GPS as Arya's fingers typed quickly across her phone.

"What're you doing?"

She glanced at him.

"Orik discovered the plan and it's very worrisome to say the least. There are several buildings containing crates of the weapons spread across the city. Each couple of days one will be transferred to an undisclosed location that is only told when it's time to move. A text just came to Sampson's phone giving an address to a scrap yard a few hours from here. The cargo is supposed to be there at six tomorrow morning."

"Shit."

"Basically."

He frowned.

"So what's the plan?"

Arya was silent a moment before she spoke.

"We're sending three of our guys in instead."

Eragon looked over, eyes wide.

"Are you serious? They'll be going in blind, Arya. They'll have no idea of what is to come."

She leaned tiredly into her seat.

"I know. But we can't lose this chance. Durza moved so quickly that his men were able to make the trades of cash and the weapons early on. This is the last stage. If we lose them here we lose them for good and people will die."

He was silent as he parked in the same area as last time. They made their way in the darkness past silent buildings and mysterious alleyways. Everything seemed a bit more hostile than it had before. They arrived and walked inside the abandoned building. Eragon noticed that the three prisoners had been removed and the body as well. Blood still stained the floor red. Three of Orik's people were dressed in jeans and white shirts with cargo jackets over them. Just what Sampson and Tanner had been wearing. He shook his head.

"So this is happening? They're going in without any intel?"

Orik sighed.

"It's the only way."

Eragon nodded and started to unbutton his vest.

"Then I'm going."

Arya's head shot up from her phone.

"No you're not."

He removed his vest and started on his shirt.

"Yes I am."

Orik considered the change and shrugged while Arya walked to face Eragon.

"You aren't. Eragon, you can barely control yourself as it is. If you see Durza you'll blow and go at him while risking the lives of these men. I can't let that happen."

He tried to show her his sincerity as he looked at her eyes.

"I swear to you they will come out alive. You brought me in because the Varden saw that I was good. They have a better chance of living if I'm with them."

"Durza knows your face. How do you suggest we skirt that issue?"

He shrugged.

"I'll wear a hat. We can bruise up my face a bit."

Arya shook her head.

"You're making this more difficult than it needs to be."

Orik cut in there.

"Arya his skill outmatches the three of these men combined." He looked at the three. "No offense."

Eragon grinned.

"So are you going to call in somebody to get me all ready?"

Orik raised his eyebrows.

"No. Makeup comes off."

At first he didn't understand but when the realization hit him he groaned.

"Seriously?"

Orik nodded with an evil grin on his face as he rolled his shoulders.

"You ready."

Eragon sighed. He relaxed his body before preparing for what he knew was coming. Orik was a big guy. Lots of muscle. With a huge grin Orik slammed his fist into Eragon's left eye. Pain rocketed through him but Eragon stayed on his feet and shook it off. _Shit that hurt. _Orik spread his hand and waited for Eragon to signal him to continue. Eragon nodded. This time the blow was a hook at his jaw. His head throbbed in pain and this time Orik didn't even give him a chance at recovery before punching his right cheek.

"There you go."

Eragon stretched his jaw and glared in annoyance.

"Thanks for that."

"No problem." He looked over to one of the men. "Harry step down. Eragon's taking your place."

Harry's face seemed somewhat relieved as he nodded. Eragon put on a cargo jacket over his undershirt and grabbed a pair of jeans laying to the side. He changed out of sight and returned to the room where Arya was speaking with somebody over the phone. She hung up after a few more minutes and frowned at him.

"Ajihad's cleared it so you're in. Don't make us regret this decision Eragon."

He picked up Sampson's gun and nodded.

"You have my word."

**Yeah I used Google Translate again. . . . **

**Elvendiath: **Oh they will definitely become equals. And I'm gonna have soooo much fun writing it when Eragon realizes that he's just as strong as her. It will take more training and stuff but he'll get there :)

**DeMoNzMaGiC: **Lol will do. Yeah I know it seems like that but it'll be better soon. I'm just sticking with character progression from the book. Arya pissed everyone off with her bitchiness and Eragon cried every two seconds so I've adapted it slightly. I'm not sure yet. Some of the stuff will be the same but I may switch up the plot so as you to keep you all on your toes haha :P

**Mahavia: **Yeah I get that and that's totally ok I was just wondering because sometimes I see a couple reviewers that read and review a lot for stories like mine but not actually mine. It just interests me.

**Microbat98: **I know lol. I meant people who don't review certain stories at all even though they're like others.

**Tamerlain85: **Thinks what? Yeah I don't read those either lol. Especially the one's with awful grammar. I mean, I know I'm not the best with it but at least my grammar is alright. The worst is when people think they can write in text language and get away with it. I want to slap them.

**Mark Silverwing: **Yeah the summaries are important. So are the title and the cover photo. At least in my opinion.

**Burning Book: **Yeah character roles will be slightly different in this and don't worry, Murtagh will enter into the story soon :)

**Phantom Assassin: **Thanks for reviewing :)

**Eluvita: **I totally get that and it's cool. Yeah I don't review barely anyone unless I'm insanely blown away or they help me out or are a ff friend. I think I've written like, 5 or something total. I don't actually read stories on here anymore anyway. And yes. I definitely used Google Translate because I don't know any Spanish. Like, at all.

**Guest: **Thank you. I guessed it probably wasn't totally correct because I used Google Translate to do it lol. I might mess it up again if I use it in the future so forewarning there. And thanks, that's good to hear :)

**Dracones: **I don't read anything really either except a couple of ff friend's stories. Action is coming!

**Winter Wolf:** Yeah it makes sense haha. Same here. Yeah my mother is a grammar nazi. Even her texts she sends have no mistakes or text abbreviations whatsoever. Really!? Crap sorry I always try to answer questions but I must have missed that. Did you mean just, like, in a response? Or do you want me to rewrite it or something? You already read it didn't you? If you ever want to review it's fine but there's no need to go out of your way to review if you don't actually want to haha. Lmao he can handle it and soon she wont be able to do it anymore :D

**Iryan Drottingu: **Thanks! Haha yes it will slowly start to recede, starting with this next chapter. I'm just trying to keep it relatively close to how they progressed in the book but I'll fast forward it a bit in my story. They'll become friends most likely in about, 3 chapters or so.

**My Generation: **It will! Promise! If I play that game do I have to start from the first Fallout or can I just get the third? All I know chapter-wise is that it'll be LONG. Lol and it will basically follow the same pattern but with my own little changes thrown in.

**Flyflyaway: **Yeah :P And I don't usually review because of laziness too lol.


	13. Chapter 13

**Here ya' go! Lol I know it's been like, months, but I made this chapter extra long for you guys. Sorry though about how fricken long it's been. Again, like I said on my other story, don't feel bad if you want to message me or review and tell me to hurry the hell up. Sweet, so R&R! Enjoy!**

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

They had found keys in Sampson's pocket that went to a cargo truck located two blocks away. At this moment, Eragon was helping load the crates into the truck with the two men he'd be on this mission with. Inside the building, Arya and Orik were in the process of setting up surveillance and getting all the required supplies. As soon as the last crate was added, he sat on the edge of the floor of the cargo truck and watched what little traffic there was. A police car suddenly tore down the street and past them, heading toward some unknown issue. It led his mind back to a much different time.

_He sat at the edge of the roof, looking out into the darkness. Next to him was a girl who he hardly knew. Both of them were drunk but she was to the point of passing out. Just then, sirens flared below and cops poured out of their cars and towards the house. "Cops!" was shouted by several people as they started at a run towards their cars and to the woods behind the house. Eragon stood rapidly, swearing, and pulled the girl towards the window. She was too drunk to get away but if he left her on the roof she'd probably end up falling off. As soon as he'd lifted her through the window and inside, he climbed back to the roof. _

_He tried to stay in the shadows but a flashlight lit his back and a bullhorn shouted for him to stop. He turned towards a cop on the ground and met his eyes with a sneer, before running to the other side of the roof and dropping to the ground. He landed just as a police officer arrived around the corner. "Halt!" He froze. He knew if he was taken in, he'd be in juvi. Again. This time it'd be much longer. _

_Going at a full out sprint, he headed for the woods. The cop behind him shouted again and he heard the crushing of leaves as he was followed. In this state, he wasn't as agile and quick, and so the officer caught him and grabbed the scruff of his collar. Without thinking, Eragon threw his fist out and clocked the officer on his jaw, making the man stumble. _No. . . Now he had to escape. Assault on an officer? That would put him away for a long time. _He was prepared to fight but before anything, the cop pulled a gun. That was it. He was screwed. Holding up his hands, Eragon waited as he was cuffed and then he was led back towards a squad car. Being shoved in the back, he slumped his shoulders. _

_He was booked and paperwork was filled out. Just as before, after everything, he was returned to juvi. Many faces he recognized as he entered, smirked. They'd known he'd be back. Just 16 and he'd been in and out twice already. Wasn't a huge surprise. That's what happens when you grow up in foster care your whole life. Shit homes equals shit attitude. _

"Eragon."

He jolted out of his memory and looked to find Arya standing before him.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

Walking outside, she found Eragon sitting on the edge of the truck, staring blankly out into space. He was obviously in his own world so she took the opportunity to study him. He was confusing. He seemed like such a shallow tool, but at the same time, he showed wisdom and kindness where she would assume he had none. His eyes were always playful and excited but his words betrayed his true feelings. It hit her then, who he truly was. It all made sense when she thought about it. It was an act. He played a part that he felt comfortable with; made people believe he was an ass to keep them from digging deeper. It was brilliant really. He was just like her but he used subtlety where she used bluntness.

Smirking slightly at her discovery, she cleared her throat. He jolted as if out of a trance and she watched his eyes as he looked at her. This time, behind the jovial glint, she took in his sadness and confusion. His rage and grief. He frowned at her piercing stare before standing.

"What's up?"

She opened the map that she held in her hand.

"The place you're going is in the middle of a huge plot of open land. We wont be able to get to close but Ajihad has about 30 men heading to the location and they'll be four minutes out."

He snorted.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll just call timeout if they catch us. They should understand and wait for our back up."

She rolled her eyes at his douchey-ness. Now it was more amusing than annoying, knowing that he was just putting on an act.

"I'll be following you to your destination until you get close. Then I'll hold back with the rest." She met his eyes. "You're sure you can handle this?"

He nodded with certainty.

"Their lives are in my hands. I have to."

"Good. When you're inside, you have to keep your cover. The moment you see Durza, you're going to swipe your wrist," She lifted his arm and hooked a brown belt buckle leather bracelet to his arm. "across the small of your back. There's a magnet in the bracelet that will flip on a signal."

He made a face.

"Why can't it just be a watch?"

"Because Sampson had a leather bracelet like this."

He gave it an annoyed look.

"Well, why do I have to do so much just to signal you? Why cant the signal be in the front pocket of my pants?"

"Because you're hand passes it as you move and swing your arms. Putting the switch at your back makes the action deliberate."

He reached behind him and ran his hand along the jacket.

"Where is the signal?"

She gripped his shoulder and turned him slightly. Her hand pressed the jacket into his back at a certain point.

"Right here. Remember this." She released him and stepped back. "Now load up. You're off in ten."

As she walked towards the building she heard him mumble,

"Right. I'll just reach behind and scratch my ass. Put the signal in the back. Jeeze."

The sarcasm was so potent she could basically see his eyes rolling. Smiling to herself, she went inside and told the other two agents to get in the cargo truck. Orik was in a conversation with someone who she assumed was Saphira. He laughed about something and hung up the phone. Looking at her he smirked.

"Saphira says to watch his back or she'd shank our faces next time she saw us."

"Shank? She has thousands of weapons at her fingertips and she chooses to use a makeshift one?"

Orik laughed again.

"I said the same thing. Her response was that she would grab the first thing she saw. Probably a pen or the like. She wouldn't waste time finding an actual weapon."

Smiling, Arya and he both followed the guys going with Eragon outside. Eragon had climbed in the driver's side while the other two sat next to him on the bench seat.

He started the engine and glanced at her momentarily before stepping on the gas and moving out. The agent that Eragon had replaced drove up in blue 2009 Chevy Impala. She's much prefer the 1967 version but they needed to avoid sticking out. She walked over and stood by the driver's door. The agent looked at her questioningly before realizing that she wanted him to get out. Cheeks flushed, he opened the driver's door and slid out.

She took his place and the agent got in the back seat, knowing Orik would be taking the passenger side. Orik came out moments later and climbed into the car. He opened a laptop on his lap and Arya started off after the cargo truck at a distance. As time passed and they came closer to the drop site, an uneasy feeling began to crawl up her spine.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

The two agents next to him had very different ways of coping with what was coming. One, Evan, wouldn't shut his mouth for more than three seconds. The other, Stephen, stared off into space and continuously fidgeted with his fingers. Eragon tried to ignore them both. He was trying to calm himself; to prepare himself for facing the man who killed Garrow. The man who destroyed his life. He'd promised Arya he would be fine and he would be. A mistake could kill the men next to him and that was unacceptable.

As the night passed slowly, he continued to ponder anything that happened to come to his mind. For some reason, it always led back to Arya. Something he'd be thinking about would suddenly bring her image to mind even when he tried to think of other things purposefully. He'd see a hint of green and suddenly her eyes were glaring into his skull. It wasn't unpleasant, but it worried him. _If he became attached. . . it wouldn't turn out well. _She wasn't one for letting people in.

The sun peaked out from the horizon a little later and his stomach tightened. They'd be there soon. Evan and Stephen both tensed noticeably. Evan stopped talking and looked straight out the window. He sighed and glanced at them.

"When we drive in, we need to be relaxed. You need to forget what lies before you and become the person you are portraying." He reached for the stereo and turned it on. A song he knew well rang out and a grin crossed his face. "Do either of you know Adelitas Way?"

Stephen chuckled and nodded but Evan shrugged.

"Not really my kind of music."

Turning it up, Eragon gave him a sideways smirk.

"Well it's all we got. Try to enjoy."

He rested into the seat as "The Collapse" began to put his nerves at ease.

The rest of the drive was less uncomfortable as each accepted that they were in this and that they must be at their best to guarantee the safety of the group. A few miles back, Arya's car turned of the dirt road and he lost sight of it. In the distance, he saw the outline of the scrap yard and his grip on the wheel tightened. He turned off "Criticize" and straightened his shoulders. A hard look crossed all three of their faces. It was game time.

Armed guards motioned him forward into the compound and he followed their signals until one help out his hand for Eragon to stop. Doing so, him and the agents got out of the truck and hopped to the ground. A guard came forward.

"Sampson, correct?" Eragon nodded but as the guard came closer his eyes narrowed. "What happened to you?"

Eragon shrugged nonchalantly.

"That merc gave more of a fight than anticipated."

He had to avoid holding his breath while the man pondered his answer. When the guard chuckled, relief flooded him.

"Yeah, we've had that problem with a few others." The man motioned several others over. "Help carry those boxes into the warehouse."

Eragon led them to the the back of the truck and they began unloading the cargo. _At least they didn't know Sampson or the others personally or we'd be seriously screwed. _He waited as two guards pushed a crate towards him and another guy. Getting a grip on it, he let the guard lead as they headed for a one story structure thirty feet away. The crates were heavy and by the time they reached the doors, both he and the man were straining and sweating. The doors opened into a dark, musty space that caused him to want to sneeze. He held it back and walked forward with the heavy crate. They finally set it next to several others and stood, panting somewhat. The guard let out a puff of air.

"Shit, they're heavy."

Chuckling, Eragon nodded. Both of them waited as the others brought the rest and then they were led to a dining hall. Stephen met his eyes as he passed by and continued on while he followed close behind. They were led through the building and back out through a back door. Eragon was surprised to see several more buildings that were newly constructed. From the outside as he'd driven up, it had looked like what it was claimed to be. A crappy junkyard that had seen better days.

Now though, from this view, it seemed like a military camp. Durza's men were patrolling and walking about. At least a hundred in clear view. His fists clinched. The Varden had no knowledge that this place was so heavily fortified. If they tried to take it they would be slaughtered. Both Evan and Stephen seemed to have reached this conclusion as well because when he looked at them, both subtly shook their heads. He nodded and looked around. They were going to have to improvise.

A man, obviously high in Durza's rank by his dickish air of authority he held about him, walked to stand in front of the group.

"Newcomers stay for a moment. The rest of you get to your duties."

The men around him dispersed quickly in different directions. Eragon watched the newcomer carefully. He could tell he was being studied right back. The man spoke as if to the group but him eyes remained on Eragon

"You will all remained stationed here until all the cargo has been delivered. Tasks will be assigned and you are responsible for completing them. To fail to do so will bring punishment. I'm Jacobs. You call me sir and nothing else. Understood?"

Both Evan and Stephen nodded and replied in accordance with "sir." Eragon just continued to stare Jacobs down. He knew he was taking a risk, but he needed to earn freedom of movement and the only way do that was to make yourself a big man in the camp. But it was a thin line. Jacobs could either take the bait or see him as disrespectful and put a guard on him. Finally Jacobs gave a slight nod and continued speaking.

"You will have your quarters assigned to you by Jeremy." He pointed to a guard standing by the outside of what Eragon assumed was the headquarters. "Do that and then report to the commons," He pointed again. "that building over there. Go now." They headed towards Jeremy but Jacobs spoke again. "Not you." Eragon turned and saw the man was looking at him. "I want to talk to you."

Eragon stayed behind as the other two walked on.

"Yes?"

Jacobs' eyes narrowed.

"You seem to have forgotten something."

Eragon gave a look as if pondering something.

"I don't think so."

There was another stare down and he knew this would decide how he was seen. He didn't back off. Finally Jacobs' face broke out into a grin.

"Alright. You intrigue me. What's your name?"

"Sampson."

Jacobs' nodded.

"Come with me. I think you'll be of interest to my boss."

Eragon's heart stopped for a moment. _Durza._ He collected himself as best he could as he was led away. They walked to a smaller building that had it's own patrol of six and four stationary guards. They were waved inside and Jacobs led him through a large corridor to a room at the back. They had passed several doors that Eragon assumed were for men like Jacobs. As he knocked, Eragon stood to the side and waited, his nerves on edge and hands clenched.

"Come in." His voice, scorched in the back of Eragon's head, sent chills through him. They entered the room and his breath refused to come as he looked on the face of Garrow's killer. Durza's eyes narrowed and he leaned back in his chair. "Who is this, Miles?"

"His name is Sampson, sir."

"He causing trouble?"

Jacobs' shook his head.

"No, I just feel that he's more than a common merc. He could be useful."

Durza stood from him seat, a small creak coming from his chair. He walked forward and tilted his head at Eragon.

"You're name?"

"Sampson."

Durza frowned.

"Has Miles not taught you the rules?"

Eragon's heart was racing and he desired so much to snap the demon's neck.

"He did. I don't listen very well."

Durza watched him for a moment before suddenly gripping his throat. Durza's fingers dug painfully into him, cutting off all air. Eragon was almost sure he had discovered who he was. He prepared for a fight but before he did anything, Durza spoke.

"Let's get one thing straight. You might be a big and tough but unless you want a bullet to the head, you respect me. Got it?"

Eragon wanted so badly to break the wrist that was touching him but he bested that urge. Instead, he clenched his jaw and waited a moment before nodding. Durza nodded and released him, shoving him back.

"Good. Now, just because you act tough doesn't mean shit. I think we should see what you're capable of. Miles?"

The man stood at attention.

"Sir?"

Tell everyone that they're released from their chores tonight. We're going to have a little fun."

Jacobs grinned.

"Yes sir."

**-A-R-Y-A-**

Something had gone wrong. It was almost ten P.M. and Eragon hadn't signaled a strike. She was sitting in the dirt, leaning against the side of the car she'd driven. Her laptop was on her lap and she was watching the satellite feed and it just didn't seem right. Something was off. She'd seen the truck drive in and there were a couple guards, but now she couldn't see anyone. They'd assumed it was because they'd driven the truck into a building but she hadn't seen it. Orik had been on the line with Saphira trying to set up the thermal camera but the system kept failing.

That in itself was strange because Saphira had never been stopped like this before. Arya hear Orik curse loudly and looked over to find him flipping open a computer and quickly checking something. She stood walked over to join him. He was talking with Saphira and it seemed she'd found something.

"Are you sure?"

Arya couldn't hear Saphira's response but it caused Orik to tense and run his hand through his hair. Arya became tired of waiting.

"What's happening, Orik?"

He pointed at the screen.

"Watch."

Nothing happened for a moment but suddenly the screen glitched and she saw a totally different picture. It changed back quickly but it had been enough to get the drift. She let out a breath and held her hand out for the com link. Orik handed it to her without a word.

"Saphira how come we didn't see this?"

"I'm asking myself the same question. Somehow the footage has been blocked. There's a cloak around the camp and a virus in the satellite that keeps anyone from making changes. Whoever did this. . . .Arya it has to be Shrukain. I'm the best there is. I don't know anybody who could do this besides him."

Arya sighed.

"I know. Is there a way to bypass it?"

"Now that I know it's there, I think I can go around it. Give me a few minutes. That screen you're looking at is actually cloned from mine. That's how I was able to glitch the satellite for a second. Just watch it and you'll see as soon as I do. I'll do the thermal imaging first and then try to remove the cloaking."

"Sounds good."

She set the com down and rolled her neck. She had a feeling she wouldn't like whatever was in that scrapyard.

It took ten minutes before Arya began to see a change on the screen. What appeared made her heart sink. There were over a hundred of heat signatures roaming the camp and in buildings. She called Orik over and he cursed under his breath.

"I guess we know why he didn't signal."

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

He'd been told to find his bunk and then ordered to remain in his quarters till he was called for. A meal was brought to him but nothing else for the next several hours. Deciding there was nothing to do but sleep, he proceeded to close his eyes. An hour later he was woken by a tap on the door.

"Sampson. Put these on and come outside."

There was a thud as something landed on the floor and then the door slammed shut. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up and looked towards the ground. Laying there was a pair of plain black sweatpants. _What the hell? _He had no clue what was going on but he assumed he was supposed to put the sweats on. After doing so, he walked out. Immediately, hands grabbed him and a hood was thrown over his head. He struggled violently, knocking two of his attackers off but several more hands grabbed him. A voice chuckled as he continued to struggle.

"Relax Sampson. This is just for the entertainment of the rest of the men. You're actual test awaits."

The voice was obviously Miles Jacobs. He tried to get free again but it was to no avail. Finally, after being led towards the noise of jeering men, he was brought to a stop and his hood was removed. What he saw left him still. A circle at least thirty square feet all around was set up with stakes dug into the ground around it. On those stakes were torches that lit the darkness. Surrounding the arena was over a hundred of Durza's men cheering and talking with one another. He caught sight of Durza and was waved over.

Complying, he took in his surroundings again. When he reached Durza he narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell is all this? What's happening?"

Durza smacked him across the face causing fury to rise.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What the hell is all this, sir?"

He made sure to put sarcasm in every syllable. Durza smiled.

"This is your test."

"How so?"

The evil man before him cracked his knuckles.

"Well, you'll be fighting until you're taken out. Depending on how far you get determines what you will be. This is how we test somebody's worth here. We could do it privately but the mercenaries need entertainment and the Romans had it right. Blood and fighting are just such a wonderful tool to appease the bloodlust of men. The guys you'll be fighting are of all different skills. This is their punishment as much a your test. They have failed in some way and this will make up for it." Durza moved and touched a table next to him. On it were several different weapons including a knife, brass knuckles, a bat, and a nightstick. Eragon raised his eyebrows.

"To the death, then?"

Durza shook his head.

"No, just maim or brutal injury. If you kill somebody it comes out of your paycheck. You may choose one of these weapons. Something to take into consideration is this; you are trying to impress. Big weapons are so. . . boring." Eragon nodded and quickly chose the brass knuckles. Durza smirked. "You may go far here, kid."

Eragon slid the cold steel onto his fingers and accustomed his hands to them. He turned to find a man in nothing but a pair of black sweats standing in the middle of the ring. Eragon started towards it but Durza gripped his shoulder.

"Jacket and shirt."

"What?"

"Easier to see wounds when there's nothing covering them. Take em' off and then get out there."

Taking a breath, Eragon pulled off his cargo jacket and dropped it before removing his shirt. A cool breeze drifted across his skin and the hairs on his arms raised. Rolling his shoulders, he made his way into the ring.

Before he even had a chance to get situated, the merc had lunged and swung, aiming a blow at his jaw. _Sloppy. _With ease, Eragon knocked the man's arm out of the way and gripped his wrist, flipping him to the ground. Without hesitation, he brought his fist across the man's face. A small grunt was all that was heard as the merc fell to unconsciousness. Eragon's lips raised slightly. _If they were all this shit at fighting, I'll easily complete this task._ The mercs around him looked slightly surprised and he noticed a large group of people, about thirty that he could see, sectioned off from the others. Their faces had a scared hint to them. Those are the people he'd be fighting. Giving his nastiest grin their direction, he watched as another was pushed into the ring.

The man was dressed as the last had been, but this time his opponent held back. Eragon didn't even bother to get in stance yet. This man obviously only had brute training. He was large and strong but he had no finesse. Finally, the merc got tired of waiting and approached cautiously, fist protecting his face. Eragon smirked. He wasn't planning on going for his face. As soon as he was close enough he faked a hook at his jaw. The mercenary tensed and waited but Eragon had already pulled back and slammed his knuckles into the man's stomach. He doubled over and Eragon kicked across his body towards the side of the merc's head. The man barely got out of the way as he threw himself back and stumbled to the ground. Eragon didn't give him a chance to resettle. He ran and crouched, driving his fist into his face.

Instead of going out, the man grabbed Eragon around the neck and pushed him back. Eragon gripped the man's wrists and pulled his hands off of his throat. Not backing down, the mercenary slammed Eragon in the stomach. But because of the short distance between them, there was almost no power behind it. Eragon was glad the merc didn't know the technique to make those hits hurt. With quick movements, he ignored the blows to his stomach and brought his elbow down across the man's jaw. Two more strikes caused the man below him to go still.

Standing, he wiped the sweat that was dripping into his eyes and let the light breeze cool his skin. He rolled his shoulders and waited for the next opponent to enter the ring. Around him, Durza's men were cheering and laughing for him. _Good. _He was winning favor. A large man with a short, black mohawk stepped into the ring. Eragon's eyebrows raised and he took in the muscle mass that covered the guy. _Holy shit. His arms are as big as my head._ For some reason, a image flashed into Eragon's mind that made him laugh suddenly. The merc frowned angrily.

"What're you laughing at, twinky?" This caused him to laugh harder. The merc became furious. "You'll be sorry, bitch!"

The man ran at him with impressive speed and because Eragon was almost doubled over in amusement, he was off balance and barely jumped out of the way in time. The merc still rammed his shoulder. The large mass slamming into him caused Eragon to be thrown sideways. He stayed on his feet but for some reason couldn't bring himself to stop laughing. At this point the merc looked like a charging bull. This image helped nothing as he gasped for air around his laughter. The man circled him.

"What the hell is wrong with you little shit!?"

Eragon sucked in air and let it out, still somewhat chuckling.

"Well, you look like my character from Skyrim. His name is Lurtz."

Thinking of it again made him chuckle. Around him everyone was silent, probably questioning whether he was going insane. The merc before him looked increasingly confused.

"Why is that so funny?!"

Eragon bent over and caught his breath.

"Because it's an Orc."

Several snorts came from the crowd and the merc's eyes widened. He barreled at Eragon but this time he was ready. As he came within arm's reach, Eragon brought his right foot up and placed it on the merc's thigh. He let himself fall back and kept his arms in front of him, fists clenched, as he rolled and threw the mercenary over him. He rolled to his feet and turned, kicking the man across the face. Eragon, after making sure the man was out, walked to the center of the ring. The three he'd already taken down were still there. He looked at Durza.

"Any way we could get them out of the way before continuing?"

A cruel smile crossed the demon's face.

"I think we'll leave them. It'll be like an obstacle course."

Rolling his eyes, Eragon turned and readied himself to face the next man.

He'd taken down seven mercenaries in total and they were of varying ability. He'd only faced one that had taken a few minutes to take down. And that was because the merc had had a nightstick. He'd taken a couple shots in the arms and sides before he'd been able to beat the opponent down. The next one who stepped in was armed like he was with brass knuckles. Eragon sighed and steadied his feet. This one carried himself differently. He had a confident gait as he headed for Eragon. Ignoring this, Eragon studied his opponent. He seemed capable.

Eragon was the first to attack. He wanted to see this man's reflexes and his style. The merc knocked his punch to the side and countered with a jab at his chest. Eragon blocked him, throwing three shots to the merc's head, shoulder, and chest. All were blocked and then responded to with a strike at his jaw. Eragon ducked, quickly bringing his leg up and around his opponents, he placed his heel in the back of the man's knee. He gripped his wrist and shoved forcefully, causing the mercenary to fly onto his back. Eragon moved swiftly, trying to reach him before he got up but the man flew to his feet, shaking off the dirt from his back. He smirked at him and waited for Eragon to attack.

Eragon moved in closer but didn't strike. Finally, his opponent took the bait. But he didn't do as Eragon had expected. Instead of a full punch, fast jabs were thrown at him rapid-fire. Using the 360 Defense, he blocked every strike with little effort. The merc before him seemed to see that he wasn't getting anywhere and changed methods. He shoved forward with his hands at Eragon's chest, knocking him off balance, and swept his leg at Eragon's calves. But Eragon knew exactly what he was doing and bent his knees, avoiding being hit in his Achilles and then gripping his opponent's arm that was in the process of pushing his chest back.

This way, as he fell, he knocked the merc off balance as well when he stumbled across him. Rolling to his feet, Eragon steadied himself and walked at the mercenary who'd been catching his breath and trying to decide what to do next. Eragon noticed a hint of nervousness in his eyes and grinned. He had him. As soon as he was close, Eragon juked his fist forward and then back. While his opponent brought his hands up, Eragon turned and slammed his shin into the merc's side in a power angle kick. cracking sounded around the arena area and the man bent down slightly, groaning. Taking this chance, Eragon jumped up and slammed his knee into the mercenary's upper chest. stumbling at an impressive rate, the man tried to steady himself. He swung at Eragon who caught his left wrist with his left hand and then Eragon brought his right arm around from behind him and slammed his radius into the side of his neck. This brought the merc to completely lose any form and Eragon wrapped his arms around the back of his opponents legs and lifted him up before smashing him into the ground. Another groan echoed before it was cut off by a massive blow to the cheekbone. Eragon stood and rested as much as he could before the next man came in to fight him. This one had a knife.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

Saphira was in the process of trying to bypass the lock that kept them from seeing an actual view of the area. She watched the heat signatures and looked for any sign of commotion but nothing happened until almost everyone started to come outside. They all grouped in a circle around one spot and she waited with curiosity. Finally, a lone figure, one that she had noticed staying in what she guessed were the barracks, began to move as another went to the door.

"Saphira I want a visual."

"I know, I know! I'm almost there."

The person was led to the gathering and she lost sight of him in the mass of red and orange. She saw what was happening when a person entered the empty space that the rest were surrounding. She waited for several moments and then another joined them. She called Orik over.

"Look at this. It's like a match."

His eyes narrowed.

"How long till we can actually see them?"

Saphira heard him and basically growled in her ear.

"I'm doing the best I can Shrukain is ridiculously good." The two figures began to fight and one easily beat the other. Something was familiar about the technique and she tensed. Hoping against hope, she waited and watched as another went out.

"Shit!"

Saphira yelled and Arya heard her hit something.

"What is it?"

"There's another fricken firewall! This will take longer than I expected. Sorry guys."

She watched the next several fights and each one made her more sure of her theory. Especially the last one. Still, she hoped against it. Another person stepped into the ring and she saw that they had a weapon in their hand. Looking closely, her veins chilled. It was a knife. The fight began and the one who'd been defeating the rest moved cautiously. The one with the knife swiped at him and stabbed quickly. They seemed rather decent with it which meant bad news for the opponent.

Still, the other had skill and when the guy with the knife attacked with a wide stab, the opponent punched the weapon arm and his chest. The one with the knife fell back a couple steps and the one who'd blocked him took his opening and jumped, spinning in the air and kicking the man across the face. Falling back, the one with the knife hit the ground. The other dropped on top of him and used his knee to keep the weapon arm down. As he punched him, she watched as the man with the knife pulled up his leg and reached down, taking something out of it. The screen went black just as he swiped.

"Got it! It should be coming in a couple seconds."

Arya's heart was racing as she waited. When the image came back she could see exactly who was fighting. She'd been right. Eragon was in the process of gripping the free hand that had grabbed the knife. Blood was dripping from his side as he wrenched the knife out of his opponent's hand. With a single shot, Eragon had slammed the pommel of the dagger across the man's face and rendered him unconscious. Standing and stumbling back in pain, Eragon looked to a place direction. She shifted her view from him and found Durza watching with crossed arms and a smug grin on his face. Eragon said something, motioning to his cut side but Durza only shook his head before motioning behind Eragon as another opponent stepped into the ring.

**EmlynMara:** Lol yeah he'll be calling her out a lot.

**Dracones:** It's all good. I rarely review anything. Lol :P Yeah when I thought of it I was pretty proud of myself lol. For some reason I have really interesting ideas at four in the morning. That's when I thought of it and I like, got up and wrote it really quick so I wouldn't forget haha.

**DeMoNzMaGiC:** Thanks!

**Iryan Drottingu:** Very soon, actually.

**winter wolf:** Well I'll be putting up the ending and epilogue of FtP after these stories are over. It will be a while but it'll get done haha. I'm not actually sure about the Spanish thing. I have no skill in learning languages. I'm literally incapable (not really, I'm actually just lazy). I'll be transferring this coming year or the next as well. Thanks! And I play mostly RPGs. Like, Skyrim, Assassin's Creed (all of them), Fallout 3, Mass Effect (all three). I play First Person Shooters but I don't enjoy them as much.

**My Generation:** Yeah I probably wont go back and play the others then.

**The Hero of the Dark:** Because they'll be taking it out of Chile and into the open which is when they'll possibly need them. But yeah I could've had them use smaller weapons haha.

** .9:** Yeah it'll be shown later what his is :D I'm just keeping it a secret for now because I'm actually trying to decide between two :P

**eragonfan117:** Thanks!


	14. Chapter 14

She swore vehemently and tightened her hands into fists as a cool breeze blew across her face. This new opponent was armed with a bat and the glint from his fist made her believe he also had brass knuckles. Eragon took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders, obviously in pain and exhausted. Just then, another opponent was thrown into the ring. Eragon retreated back rapidly, looking at both in surprise. This new combatant was huge, a giant among men. Arya could see Eragon recalculating and trying to decide what to do with this new situation.

Both opponents started towards him, the man with the bat spinning it in his hand. _Good, a cocky opponent. Always too ambitious to finish a fight. He will be easy to dispatch._ Eragon got another lucky break when the unarmed man charged him. These men obviously weren't using strategy to defeat him. Quickly, Eragon sidestepped the initial attack, delivering a stunning blow and simultaneously dropping him to the ground with a dislocated jaw. Before he could ensure the knockout, the other opponent ran at him. He ducked under the first swing and rolled to the side, stumbling to a standing position and getting his footing. The attacker was relentless, coming again with a two handed blow that Eragon barely had time to dodge.

This time, when Eragon rolled, he was off-balance, causing him to trip back to the dirt as he tried to stand. And the man was upon him, bat rising for a blow that could possibly kill Eragon. She gripped the edge of the table and watched, breath caught in her throat. As the bat dropped, Eragon snaked an arm around the unarmed opponent who was in the process of pushing himself off the ground and pulled him on top of himself. The strike connected with the large opponent's side and she could almost feel the pain as his mouth opened in a scream and he writhed in agony.

Orik beside her let out a breath. They watched as Eragon pushed the injured mercenary off of him and swung his foot, knocking the other to the ground. The bat left the man's grip as he hit the dirt and Eragon stood, snatching it from the ground. He stood over his opponent before kicking him unconscious. Eragon ignored the other one and turned to face his next attacker, bat still in hand. The opponent stepped into the ring and walked towards Eragon when suddenly he stopped, looking at Durza. Eragon turned too.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

"Stop!" Eragon looked at Durza, hoping that he was finished. Instead, Durza raised his eyes at him. "No weapons that you didn't start with, Samuel."

He couldn't believe it.

"Are you shitting me?!"

Durza laughed cruelly.

"Of course not, dear boy. Drop the bat."

Screaming in fury, Eragon swung around and chucked the bat at his opponent that was still several feet from him. Despite that, it connected with a sound crack and he watched as the mercenary cried out in pain and grabbed at his arm. From the angle, Eragon could tell it was broken. Not giving the man a chance to do anything else, he rand forward and slammed his fist into his face. The merc stumbled and Eragon threw one more punch before he went down in a heap. He turned to find Durza frowning at him.

"Lose the knuckles."

Eragon's fist tightened.

"What?"

Durza stepped forward angrily.

"Lose the knuckles, Samuel! I told you to drop the bat and you used it as a ranged weapon. You lose your brass knuckles and this knock out means nothing!"

Eragon swore, chucking them to the ground and trying to contain the raging fury that is building in his chest. His vision goes almost red as he tries to calm himself down. _He was having to play this demon's game and for what? Just to see his worth? No, Durza had seen his worth after he'd taken down six of his guys. He'd seen his worth after the man with the knife. Now, he was just being played with for the asshole's amusement. Here he was, feet from the man who ruined his life, and he was a puppet. All he had to do was turn around . . . ._He steeled himself._ No. He'd promised Arya and he refused to let her down._

Sucking in a slow breath, he channeled his anger into a greater focus. He felt stronger with his rage flowing through his body and he waited impatiently for his next opponent. Three unarmed men stepped into the ring and faced off. Rolling his eyes, Eragon readied himself, knowing that he was going to give out at some point and hoping it wouldn't be too bad of a beating when it happened.

Another eight rounds later and it did. Five opponents had entered the wide arena, two holding weapons. A baton and a knife. The others had brass knuckles or nothing at all. He was able to take two down before a blow at his back caused him to stumble forward. Immediately another strike put him to his knees. He rolled, trying to escape the onslaught of blows that were bound to come. He barreled one man over and tried to stand but a fist slammed into his back and sent him to the ground again. That was it. Feet plowed into his side and the baton cracked across his skull and he lost consciousness to the racking pain that shot daggers through his body.

He awoke in a bare room with a single bed set against the wall, noticing that he'd somehow gotten a shirt in his passed out state. His eyes barely opened and he couldn't feel anything. Suddenly the cloud of sleep disappeared and his limbs and muscles screamed in pain as he tried to move. Groaning loudly, he turned his throbbing head to look at his surroundings. The air in the room was stale and cold and dust seemed to swirl about in the sunlight that came through the two windows on opposite sides of the room. He laid there for a few more minutes before the door opened and Durza walked in, a grin on his face.

Eragon couldn't really tell what was going to happen. He seemed to be in a holding room of some kind and if that was the case, he'd been found out. It would've been easier for Durza to recognize him while he was passed out. Luckily, that hadn't been the case. As he walked in, Durza held a mirror over Eragon.

"Look how pretty you look." Eragon glanced in the mirror and if they'd been able, his eyes would've widened. He was literally unrecognizable. Durza dropped the mirror to his side and tilted his head. "Forty-six knockouts. That's definitely a record." Eragon opened his mouth to speak but discovered that his throat felt like sandpaper. He coughed, sending tendrils of pain shooting through him. Durza called for somebody to get water before looking back at him and smirking. "You'll go far here, Samuel."

With that he walked out of the room. _Well at least he still thinks I'm Samuel._ A man brought him a water bottle and poured it carefully down his throat. It soothed it slightly but it continued to burn. He tried to sit up again but the man shook his head.

"Sleep, sir. Durza wants you to have your strength."

_Sir?_ He didn't have time to ponder that as he drifted off again. Hours later he jolted, shooting up and immediately regretting it. Ignoring the weakness and pain in his arms and legs, he moved to stand, immediately stumbling and having to catch himself on the far wall. He slowly made his way to the door, expecting it to be locked. Instead, it opened easily and he saw that he was in the building that held Durza's office. He had just taken a step out of the room when the man from earlier who'd brought him the water, opened the door next to him.

"Samuel, sir. Durza wishes to see you."

He led Eragon down the hall to the room he'd entered earlier and nodded before turning and walking away. Taking a breath, Eragon knocked.

"Come in."

The voice rang through his bones and caused a bitter sensation to rise in him. Twisting the knob he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Durza was sitting lazily behind his desk, his feet propped on his desk and his hands behind his head.

"Samuel! You look like shit. Feeling worse?"

Eragon nodded and waited till Durza motioned for him to sit. He did so and let his sore muscles relax. He looked at the evil man before him.

"So now what?"

Durza just watched him.

"Well obviously you acquired brain damage."

Eragon sighed.

"So what now, sir."

A grin spread across his face.

"I'm glad you asked, Samuel. See, like most of my mercenaries, you have no clue what is truly going on here. You don't know about the bigger picture."

Eragon tilted his head.

"And what would that be?"

Durza turned his computer screen and showed him an image that he would never forget. Before him was a still of a shriveled body. Burnt to a crisp but still. . . . alive. The man was reaching for the screen as if asking for help and parts of his body were falling off. Blood was seeping through his skin and he looked like there was no way he could possibly be alive. The only thing that contrasted that was the bright blue eyes that held a torment so excruciating that it was unavoidably alive. Eragon fought the desire to retch and kept his face blank.

"What is this?"

Durza chuckled.

"Good. Very good. Your disgusting lack of empathy is very revealing of your character. I think you and I will get along just fine." He pulled the computer back towards him. "You see, by the time we're done, that will be the outcome of most of the world's population." At that he couldn't hide his shock. Durza frowned. "Shocking?"

Eragon saved himself.

"Yes. But only because I'd assume it'd be all of the world."

Durza laughed wholeheartedly and pulled out a drawer on the left side of his desk. He grabbed something and held his hand out.

"Take this."

Eragon opened his palm and Durza dropped a key into it. He narrowed his eyes and questioned him.

"What's this for?"

Durza stood and walked out of the room.

"Follow me."

Pushing himself up painfully, Eragon followed the man out of the room and into the burning light of day. He winced as sunlight pierced his eyes and he shielded them with his palm. Durza led him across the packed dirt through a maze of other mercs. From the looks they gave him they were obviously wary. Ignoring this, he strained to keep up with Durza before they finally stopped at a lone building that looked like it would house an entire bunk room from the barracks. Durza motioned for the door.

"This is your new quarters. Enjoy."

Sliding the key into the lock he turned it and stepped inside an air conditioned, furnished, and new room. To his left was a wooden desk and rolly chair. Beside it was a plastic trash bin and to his right was a window and a coat rack. He couldn't see what lay beyond because there was a half wall separating him from the other side. He put on a face, grinning like he was excited.

"This is mine?"

"Yes. Now, for your victory, you've obviously earned a prize. It is waiting for you on your bed."

Eragon did as he was expected.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Durza grinned cruelly.

"You're learning."

With that he closed the door and left Eragon alone. The moment he knew Durza was out of range, he grabbed the bin and hurled up everything that had been in his stomach. After which he continued to dry heave painfully, his body clinching. He slumped against the side of the desk as his hatred and disgust all boiled within him. He was helpless to do anything as that bastard continued to destroy his sanity. _And the photo on that screen. . . . _He shivered and wiped the bile from his face. Whatever Durza had left for him, he was going to destroy and scatter into millions of pieces. He didn't want any kind of gift from that man.

Walking around the wall he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a body, obviously woman, sprawled across the sheets. Her hands were tied with roped and latched to the headboard. On her head was a cloth pillowcase and she was laying still. Her body was covered in tight leather clothing and boots were laced up her legs. His mouth dropped open as he started. Shaking himself from his trance, he moved swiftly and pulled until he'd untied the women's hands and released her.

"Are you ok?" He helped her pulled the case from her head and he almost pissed his pants. Literally. "Arya!?"

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She watched as they pounded him, not stopping. Both her, Orik, and Saphira watched helpless as the crap was kicked out of him. He'd already stopped moving and she didn't know why they continued. Finally, all heads shot up and looked to where Durza was. They nodded and backed away, returning to the outer area. Durza called several others who came and lifted Eragon from the ground, carrying him off into the distance. The blood in her veins ran icy cold as she watched, not knowing if he was dead or alive.

Her heart pounded against her chest and she heard Saphira's voice crack as she spoke over the earpiece.

"Is he. . . "

Arya rested her head in her hands, pressing her palms into her eyes to stop the rush of a headache.

"I don't know Saphira."

They sat there and watched as the arena was taken down and people slowly began to return to their barracks. Durza went off to the direction Eragon had gone. As soon as he was out of sight in a large building, she stood and paced off. Walking circles around the car, she tried to calm herself. No matter his state, she could do nothing. This was part of the job. He knew what he was risking when he went in. Despite what she was telling herself, she couldn't help the sadness that consumed her. She had just stopped and leaned on the cold metal of the car when Orik called her over.

"Arya look at this." She hurried over and he pointed at the screen. "There's a vehicle headed towards the base. Should we intercept it?"

Pondering for a moment she nodded.

"Yes. It might give us a clue to what Eragon's fate was."

He nodded and gave the orders for the SUV to be stopped.

Several minutes later Orik called her over again.

"It's a hooker."

Her brows furrowed.

"What?"

He nodded.

"Yeah. Says she is being sent to congratulate a merc who gained into the ranks of Durza and his men."

"He's alive."

Orik grinned.

"Looks like it. What do we do now? They're expecting this girl."

Arya climbed in the car.

"I'll take her place."

Orik whirled around.

"No! What?"

Starting the car she leaned out the window.

"We need to get to Eragon and this is the only way to do it. Let them know I'm on my way."

Putting on the ridiculous leather of the whore in the car felt like she was peeling off her dignity. Knowing Arya, the other Varden agents knew not to even look at her. The man who'd been driving the car was not so well informed. He whistled and looked her up and down.

"Damn girl I think you chose the wrong profession."

Her head snapped and she glared daggers at him. A pale look covered him as she stepped towards him. Her finger curled into his collar and she twisted it until he couldn't breathe.

"What was that?"

He struggled against her, shaking his head. A choked "sorry" left his lips and she shoved him to the side. She climbed in the back seat of the car and one of her agents took the driver's position. They'd arranged to have the man arrested and the woman to be questioned to see whether her job was a choice or if it was forced. Arya on the other hand, would be traveling in under the guise of a prostitute. How classy. As they came closer to the base, she began to think on what her options would be if for some reason the man she was being taken to was not Eragon.

_They'd blindfolded her and tied her to the bed. How jacked up was that?_ And she knew for a fact that the groping hands that had done it were not just clumsy. Her entire being ached for revenge and her anger only grew as she waited for who she was meant. But when he spoke, all her fury vanished to be replaced with concern and chagrin that she had believed she had it bad. Eragon was having to look the man who'd killed Brom right in the eyes and call him sir. To that, her situation was nothing.

As soon as the door shut she heard him vomit and dry heave continuously causing her heart to squeeze. Then something else hit her as he started to walk in. _What if he would take advantage of a situation like this? _Her fears were proved unnecessary because the first thing he did was release her. As soon as they'd removed the hood and he'd stumbled back, she looked at his wounds in shock. But she was better at hiding it than he was.

"Arya?!" She threw a hand over his mouth and glared. He seemed to collect himself then because he pulled her hand away and sat next to her on the bed. "How did you get in here?"

She motioned at the ridiculous getup she was wearing.

"They were sending you a hooker so I took her place in order to get in contact with you."

He nodded and a small smile left his lips.

"Too bad. I was looking forward to her."

She smacked his arm although she couldn't help but chuckle. He winced before leaning back against the wall.

"So what's the plan?"

"More Varden agents are on there way but we don't have the resources to send enough to match this small army."

He shook his head.

"If we have surprise on our side we'll easily take them. Most of these guys are half rate mercs who only know how to sling a gun."

"Good. Once we have everything situated, no matter what is happening in this camp, Orik will give the order to attack."

He closed his eyes.

"Good. I want that bastard."

"We need him alive."

He clenched his jaw tightly, showing the muscle there.

"Fine."

She looked at him closely.

"Eragon look at me a moment." He opened his eyes and she saw pure agony darkening the irises. "Are you going to make it?"

He nodded.

"I have to don't I." It wasn't a question. She nodded, worrying that he might crack. He seemed to catch on to her fear. "Don't worry, Arya. I wont do anything to put this mission in danger and risk losing that sadistic monster. He cannot have his world."

She frowned, lost at his words.

"His world?"

Eragon looked at her again then, deep into her eyes where they locked on like a vice grip.

"He wants to destroy the world Arya; to kill millions upon millions of people. What I saw. . . I. . . he has to be stopped."

She squeezed his shoulder, not knowing exactly how to help him but wanting to help.

"He will be Eragon, I swear to you."

"I know."

She pulled her hand away and leaned back against the wall next to him. He changed the subject.

"How long before you head out?"

"Tonight. They only send girls for one day. Apparently Durza has a whole set up with this organization that allows him to have girls sent here for a day. The only rules are that the girls can refuse what they want and if any bear so much as a scratch when she returns, the deal ends. Apparently they haven't had a problem."

Eragon shook his head.

"To be so cruel. . . .Durza must be a psychopath. He literally feels nothing."

She agreed.

"He is. There is no other explanation for his lack of any show of empathy."

For the rest of the night they sat there and talked about different strategies for getting to Durza when the attack hit. Trouble came when there was a knock at the door.

"Everyone decent?"

She reacted immediately, pulling Eragon down on top of her and throwing the covers over so that whoever it was wouldn't see she was still fully clothed. Eragon seemed surprised at her action but caught on quickly and positioned himself so that the man wouldn't be able to see any part of Arya but her face. The door opened and Eragon became the part, his lips suddenly finding her neck and attacking the pulse point with tongue and teeth. She reacted unwillingly, her body calling to respond as her mouth opened and her head dropped back.

She had no clue what she was truly feeling but what was happening at that moment worked perfectly with the scene they were trying to portray. Eragon's hand slid into her hair and his mouth began to move down the v of the leather top. They heard a chuckle as something was set on the coffee table by the bed before footsteps retreated and the door shut. Eragon took a deep breath and collapsed with relief. She twisted, trying to ignore the fact that her entire being was tingling.

"Eragon get off."

He rolled to the side and sat up, looking to see what had been set down.

**eragonfan117:** They'll definitely be together eventually. What's your name?

**N-Six:** Just a bit lol

**Depends:** Because in a situation where you have no time to prepare, trying to change your name would be incredibly difficult.

**Engr99:** Lol I know several that have been raided. Also, if the cop is attacked, he can do whatever he wants and Eragon attacked him. A cop can pull his gun for less. For example: If you open your door after being pulled over the cop is required to unholster his gun. It's protocol.

**Ninja15912:** I actually just began reposting it so check it out if you want.

**funnelwebs:** I'll try to do that. I don't usually remember though haha. Yeah they can. Like explained above, cops can pull their weapon in a threatening situation. Yeah I'll give you that, I know nothing about thermal cameras. I was just making crap up. It's all good I always sound like a nerd haha,

**Iryan Drottingu:** Sort of soon. . . . lol

**My Generation:** I'll try and update quicker from now on.

**winter wolf:** I just make crap up as I write. I have a basic plot to follow but that's it. Basically, I'm always thinking about my stories and I think of new stuff during the most random times. I usually use my class time to think instead of paying attention to my professors. Um, I'm not very far in at all. I love RPGs and I can deal with FPS games but they bore me pretty quickly. I really like all the AC games. TOMB RAIDER IS AN INCREDIBLE GAME! I've never actually played the Uncharted games but they look cool. And it's all good haha.


	15. Chapter 15

**So, all I can really do is apologize about the wait. I don't really have an excuse because the reason I didn't write was because I just didn't feel it. When I write, I have to get into my characters heads and for some reason I found that hard for the past few months. Like, I knew what I wanted to do but I didn't get into it. I still haven't really but I figured you'd all waited long enough. So without further ado, wallah.**

**Oh, and sorry for mistakes, I didn't even look this over twice because I was tired.**

**-A-R-Y-A-**

It was a piece of paper that said he was to send the hooker to Durza as soon as he was finished. He crushed it in his fist, looking at her with worry. Her face was disgusted.

"I would rather die."

He pressed his hands to his eyes.

"If he sees you, you probably will."

She swore, trying to think of some form of escape from this. Eragon stood, running his fingers through his hair and groaning. She sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, trying to clear her head and decide where to go from there. Eragon shot a look at her and she frowned.

"What?"

He seemed to be pondering something before he finally answered.

"What if you died?"

She furrowed her brow.

"What?"

He looked around the room, as if trying to find something.

"If I say I killed you, then there's a possibility they'll just dump your body."

She made a face.

"I don't feel that that is an appetizing solution."

He rolled his eyes.

"It may be our only solution. Unless you have something of worth to contribute."

She punched his shoulder and he gave her a small grin. Instead of just continuing on, she returned one in kind.

"I am amazed that you can still be such an ass even in a situation such as this."

Eragon shrugged.

"I can't help it. You're much too easy to rile up."

Ignoring his comment, Arya sighed and laid back down on the bed.

"Fine. Kill me. How are we going to do this?"

"Well, I don't actually want to hurt you so we'll say I just snapped your neck."

She snorted.

"And what will you say when they ask you to explain what happened?"

He grinned darkly.

"Use your imagination."

She scrunched up her face as if smelling something bad.

"Gross."

He just winked.

"So how do we do this?"

She repositioned her body, putting her head at an extremely awkward angle. He pondered for a moment.

"I don't know. Why would you have all your clothes on?"

She gave him a dark look.

"I'm not taking my clothes off, Eragon."

He rolled his eyes.

"Calm down, princess, I'm not trying anything. I'm just worried about the believability of all of this."

She sighed.

"Fine. Give me your shirt."  
"What? Why?"

She sat up.

"Because you'll be pretty nervous. You can run out there in your shorts without a shirt and tell a guard you need help. He'll come in and find me in your shirt. If they ask you any questions, just say you freaked out and were going to try and get me out without anyone noticing before realizing there wouldn't be a way. These guys are dense enough it shouldn't be too hard of a sell."

He was skeptical but he finally shrugged and tugged off his shirt. She gazed at him for a moment before averting her gaze. He tossed it to her and crossed his arms. Arya gave him a incredulous look before shooing him.

"Behind the wall, Eragon."

He pouted.

"No fair. You got to drool while I changed."

She raised her eyebrows cockily.

"You want to drool?"

He stuck his tongue out and went out of sight.

"No, I wanted to see you struggle out of that ridiculous outfit."

"Shut up."

Despite her words, she was smirking. It took her almost ten minutes to peel it from her skin. She slid his shirt on and grimaced.

"Gross. You need to shower."

He laughed.

"Finished?"

"Yeah." She laid back haphazardly on the bed and put her neck back in the same uncomfortable position."How do I look?"

Eragon chuckled.

"Dead?" A small smile left her lips and he headed for the door before pausing.

"Wait, how are you going to not breathe?"

"I can hold my breath for five minutes easy, Eragon. I'll be fine now go."

He snorted.

"You're just perfect aren't you?"

He heard her snort.

"Yes. Exactly."

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

Pushing through the exit, he plastered an annoyed and nervous expression on his face and stumbled outside. Immediately several mercs turned his way.

"Guard."

The nearest on duty sprinted to him.

"What is it, sir?"

I. . . I uh. . . she's dead."

The mercenary's face clouded and he looked towards Eragon's cabin.

"What do you mean, she's dead?"

Eragon gripped the man's shirt and yanked him towards himself, reclaiming his authority.

"What else could that possibly mean?" He shoved the man away. "Get somebody to clean up this mess!"

The guard nodded and sprinted towards the main buildings. Eragon sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the wall of his quarters. Five minutes later, the guard returned and with him, four guys and a truck. They stopped before him and one with Eragon's same ranking glared him down.

"Idiot! What the hell happened?"

Eragon stood and got in the man's face.

"Piss off! Just get her out of there."

The man motioned for the three mercs to do so. He stayed and seethed at Eragon.

"You have ruined it for the rest of us you dumb ass!"

Eragon played dumb. Nobody had told him about the rules.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The man cursed.

"If a girl get's hurt, we lose this deal we got going!"

"Well maybe somebody should've told me that!"

They stared each other down when a voice behind him caused his body to still.

"What is going on!?"

He whirled, facing Durza and trying not to panic. She was supposed to get out of the camp without Durza getting a look. Before he could speak the man beside him burst out.

"This bafoon you hired killed the whore!"

Durza didn't react, only looked to Eragon. Eragon clenched his jaw.

"I didn't know there were rules, sir."

"Ahh, there it is. Verrel," Durza smiled at the merc beside him. And with a burst of speed unholstered his gun and fired. Verrel cried out and dropped to the ground holding his thigh. "You forgot something. Eragon remembered. Fail again and the next bullet is in your skull."

Eragon breathed out quietly. The fact that Durza shot him for forgetting to call him sir was terrifying. There was no telling what he might do at any moment for the smallest of things. The red-haired man chuckled.

"Don't be frightened, Sampson. You didn't know the rules yet. I will sort this out. Come with me and let them take care of the body. We have a feast awaiting us."

His nerves were completely rattled by the time they reached the building that contained Durza's office. They walked into the air conditioned building and Eragon let his last wave of anxiety roll over him before relaxing. They'd done it.

Durza led him towards his office but instead stopped at a room just to the left. Inside was a table and several chairs of a dark wood coloring. Durza sat down at the head and motioned for Eragon to sit at his right. Three plates were set out although they were the only people in the room. Curiosity getting the better of him, he nodded at the empty seat.

"Sir, will somebody be joining us?"

"Yes. I'd like you to meet a man you'll be working with very closely. He'll be here shortly."

Moments later somebody entered the room with a tray in his hands. He set it on the table and nodded his respect to his superiors before exiting the room. Eragon copied Durza in lifting a plate and setting it in front of him. He removed the lid covering it and an incredible smell assaulted his nostrils, making his stomach rumble in appreciation.

Durza grinned and began forking mouthfuls of what Eragon assumed was some sort of fish into his mouth. Eragon hesitated before taking his first bite, letting the flaky delicacy melt in his mouth. After that he devoured the food, snatching his drink from the tray. Durza was silent as he did the same and it wasn't until both were finished that he spoke.

"So, Sampson, I have brought you here because I have a task that requires your specific skills."

Eragon waited for him to continue. When he didn't he pressed for more.

"And what task do you need me for, sir?"

"I-"

They were interrupted as the door was thrown open and a body flung into the room. Eragon saw a flash of black hair before the person disappeared behind the table as they hit the ground. Even with that small glimpse, he knew exactly who it was and his heart sunk.

"Look what we have here, sir."

Two of the men assigned to take Arya's body out and dump it were standing triumphantly in the doorway. Eragon watched as Durza's face clouded in confusion. He forced a perplexed look into his own expression and stood.

"What the hell?"

Durza steepled his fingers on the table.

"Sit down, Sampson. As for you two, explain to me what happened."

The one on the right stepped forward.

"Well, we were driving her out to the trash pit to toss her in and when we stopped, she stood and tried to fight us off. She um, took me down, but Dave shot her in the leg before she could kill me. We cuffed her and brought her straight to you."

Durza glanced at Eragon before motioning for Arya to be placed in the chair at the far end of the table directly across from him. The whole time Eragon's head was spinning. _There was no way those two could've stopped Arya. She wouldn't have attacked if she didn't have the upper hand. . . . . _Durza shooed the two men with a "good job" and tilted his head at Arya.

"You." Before them, the seemingly unconscious woman raised her head, her face streaked with blood and her eyes raging. Durza laughed heartily. "Oh my dear you little devil. How clever of you to sneak in parading as a whore. And you luckily got somebody just induced into our order who didn't know the players in our little game just yet."

Arya spat as Eragon's mind continued to race, trying to decide what to do.

"You will be taken from the 'game' soon enough, Durza. And I shall enjoy extracting information from you myself."

The man laughed.

"Oh I so wish I could experience you 'roughhousing' me, darling. But alas, there is no time for such nonsense." Durza stood, unsheathing his blade and spinning it around in his fingers as he walked towards her. She watched him closely as he approached, instinctively leaning away. Durza sat down on the edge of the table, twisting the blade into the wood. "You see, I have plans for tonight and they don't include you, as much as I would wish."

He hissed like a predator, assessing his prey, and Arya jerked towards him, trying to free her hands so she could strangle him. Eragon's chest burned with rage and he prepared to move on the man as soon as he had to. Durza shrugged sadly and moved the dagger towards Arya's throat, causing Eragon to throw his chair back and lunged. And suddenly the dagger redirected it's trajectory and planted into his ribs, burying itself to the hilt. Eragon gasped, shuddering as he felt the pain rush through him. Arya's eyes widened and she tried even more to free herself from her bindings.

"Eragon!"

He dropped to his knees, feeling the blood rush out of his wound and down his body. His chest heaved and he struggled to stand. Durza shoved him back, leaving the blade in his body.

"Verrel!"

The man Durza had supposedly shot walked in with a smile planted on his face. He looked at them both and chuckled.

"You fools. We are not as daft as you would think."

From where he knelt frozen on the wooden floor, Eragon heard an explosion and felt it shake the ground beneath him. Durza shook his head.

"And here comes the calvary. It's no matter. They'll be distracted by my mercenaries for quite some time now. I'll make my escape as soon as I finish with both of you." Durza stood and unholstered his gun, swinging around and aiming it at Eragon's head. "You were so stupid, coming here I mean. Did you not think I would see the hatred in those eyes? Bruises can't hide emotions, boy. It is time for your death."

A shot rang out but it didn't connect as Arya had swung her leg under Durza's and caused him to misfire. Taking the chance, Eragon used what adrenaline he had left to tear the blade from his body and leapt from the ground, sinking the metal into Durza's stomach. The demon growled in pain, watching with wide eyes as liquid the color of his eyes poured from him. Eragon grabbed the gun as he fell to the ground, using his remaining strength to aim the weapon towards the advancing enemy. He fired, only grazing the man's arm. It succeeded in stopping him for a moment but that was all.

Consciousness was leaving him and he knew that he was about to die, as was Arya, when two shots tore through the room. He was out.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She let out a breath of relief as Orik sprinted into the room, Saphira just behind him. He'd taken down Verrel and now all they had to worry about was getting Eragon to help. She glanced at him again and winced. He looked bad. Blood was dripping from his mouth, proof enough that his lung was punctured. Saphira gasped when she saw him, sprinting over and dropping to press her hands over the wound. Orik cut her free and she pushed herself up onto her wounded leg. She winced but pushed through the pain. Outside, bullets were still being fired and she wondered how exactly they had reached them so quickly. Ignoring her curiosity for the moment, she took Orik's mike and barked orders into it.

"Ajihad, I need a helicopter now!"

"Arya I can't send a bird into a hot zone."

"You will or you'll lose the agent who got you this catch! He only has minutes and we have no tools here."

A sigh was heard before he agreed and could be heard ordering a transport to be sent in.

"It will arrive in two minutes. Send up a signal for where it needs to land and you sure as hell better give it cover."

"Will do. Thank you."

She tossed the bud back to Orik and instead snatched the smoke flare from his belt, limping out of the room and down the hall. As she stepped outside, she ran into a mercenary trying to take cover behind the crates by the door. He whirled around but before she could do anything she had pushed his gun down and flung her palm into his face, crushing his nose into his skull. He cried out and stumbled, giving her the opening to grab his gun and turn it on him, firing two short bursts from the Vector SMG and dropping him.

She was still angry from earlier when the two guys who'd driven her off had chloroformed her in the bed. She'd never had even a chance. And they'd had to shoot her as well? She swore and headed behind the building to the closest clearing. There were three mercenaries trying to run and she showed no mercy as she gunned them down. There was nothing else for her to do. It was either fire at will or let Eragon die. She set up the smoke and took cover along the wall of a building, shooting anyone in her line of sight. The whirring of the blades filled her with relief and she watched as it landed before her. Limping forward, she met with Nasuada and raised her brow. The woman grinned.

"Surprised to see me?"

Arya grinned and clasped the woman's forearm before turning and leading her and the two men with a stretcher to where Eragon still lay.

"Just a bit. But it's a welcome shock. I just figured you'd be controlling things on the home front if Ajihad is here."

They pushed inside the building as Nasuada responded.

"Actually he is still there. I came in his place."

"Ah, well welcome to the party."

Nasuada smirked as they entered the room Eragon was in. Orik raised his weapon instantly before recognizing them and dropping it again. Saphira called for them from her place by Eragon's side.

"Hurry up!"

The two soldiers hurried to her side and dropped the stretcher, moving him carefully onto it. They all went into action then, Orik and Nasuada taking point, weapons raised in preparation. Arya trailed behind and Saphira took to Eragon's left. All guns were ready as they exited the building and moved swiftly towards the bird. Saphira fired two shots towards a running mercenary and brought him down. In front, Nasuada unloaded on four mercenaries that were creeping towards the chopper. Orik spun as a bullet whizzed by his head and fired at a crouching opponent. The stretcher was loaded hurriedly into the helicopter and Saphira hopped in. Arya turned to continue on but Nasuada gripped her shoulder.

"You too, Arya."

She shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"Arya you have a bullet in your thigh. We can handle things here. Get you ass in that chopper and get patched up." When she was about to argue again, Nasuada's eye's hardened. "That's an order."

Annoyed, Arya lifted herself up beside Saphira and Orik smacked the side of the chopper, motioning for them to take off. The ground disappeared below them and she forced herself to relax. The adrenaline began to wear off and the actual pain from her leg began to surface. She took the pain meds one of the medics on the helicopter handed her and let them tie a tourniquet around her leg. She watched as they worked on Eragon, hoping that he would come out of this all fine. Slowly, her eyes began to drift shut.

Waking momentarily an hour later, she realized they were on the plane back. Her mind went instantly to Eragon and she looked about to find that he wasn't in sight. A sadness began to fill her that took over her entire being. He had been forced to sit there in that camp and be Durza's little lap dog, and he didn't even get to see it all through. Rage began to overtake her then and she sat up, moving to leave her seat when two hands held her where she was.

"Arya you need to relax. We'll be at our destination in an hour."

She shook her head, forcing the hands back. Next to her, Saphira was stirring from her sleep. She gave Arya a smile and suddenly she realized that there was no way Eragon was dead. Saphira wouldn't be sleeping or smiling if that were the case.

"Where is he?"

Saphira nodded towards the back.

"He's behind that separator. They've been keeping an eyes on him the whole trip. How are you feeling?"

Arya shrugged.

"Eh, I'm fine."

She heard a noise behind her and tried to turn around but instead, felt something prick her neck. Realization hit her and she looked at Saphira to warn her but only found the blonde smirking awkwardly.

"Don't worry Arya. Everything will be explained when you wake up."

And she was out.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

He moaned, waking fully but refusing to open his eyes. His body was protesting even the slightest movement and so he felt content to just lie still. After all, wherever he was felt insanely comfortable. Clenching his fingers, soft fabric slid through them and assumed he was probably in a bed. And then he felt something shift beside him. Immediately his eyes shot open and he looked to his right to find Arya two feet from him, her eyes closed. Panic and confusion filled him as he watched her. _Was he dead?_ And then her eyes were open.

**That ending is meant to be confusing so don't worry.**

**funnelwebs: **Lmao that's exactly like me. I'll be in my room for like five days straight just writing and watching tv and then my mother will be like, "GO HANG OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS." And then I'm sad because I have to socialize. Arya is 25 and yeah, she's human with superb athletic abilities.

**GaaraSandNiN:** Idk, I just love spies and espionage. I'm sure there was a reason I thought of the idea but I have no clue what it was.

**Engr99:** Lol well color me informed. I totally have no idea how the law works so yeah, I definitely just took everything from what I've seen. I'll try to research more before I put stuff like that in my stories. I should've had the cop tazer him. He'd have been allowed to do that, right?

**Flyflyaway: **I don't know if I'll put him in soon but I might. Maybe I'll give you all a little snippet of him in a chapter or so.

**Thaimex17:** Yeah I'm notorious for mixing up certain characters names when I write them. Firnen and Faolin, Garrow and Brom. Bleh. I know who I mean but then I accidentally put the wrong one lol.

**Guest:** Exactly ;D One of my favorite tv shows. I'm glad you caught that

**Ninja15912:** Yes. I wrote it last year or two years ago, I can't remember, and then I had to take it down. I'm putting it back up.

**My Generation: **Lol no big deal, school is crazy although I feel like you're probably on Summer break now because I took so damn long to update. Thanks!

**Guest:** Very 'ish' haha. Things will happen but they might not happen in the same places or order as the book.

**Fergus R: **Lol yeah it's Sampson I messed that up. Thank you!

**Pie6031:** I love that sign off. "Cheers and eat plenty of muffins." That's awesome lol


	16. Chapter 16

**So I thought I'd share the misfortune I just encountered. I got this game KoA: Reckoning (beastly game, if you haven't gotten it I suggest it highly) and I played over forty hours of it. I'd beaten all the faction quests and I was about to fight the main bad dude of the story. Well, I decide that I didn't want it to end yet so I created a new character and started playing. It came time to save and because I did it so automatically I saved over the character with this level 0 one. I was so mad. So yeah, sharing my total idiocy with you all. **

The same shock flooded her gaze and she shot off the bed, landing on her feet before gasping and stumbling into the wall behind her. She gripped her leg and continued to glare at him. He pushed himself into a sitting position with a lot of difficulty when something flashed in the light from the window, catching his eyes and causing them to widen immensely. There, on her finger, was a wedding ring. He became aware of something on his own hand and pulled it from the sheets. And there was the wedding band. Arya caught on, looking between them with horror and total disbelief.

"If this is some kind of joke I will slaughter you."

Eragon looked about the room, taking in several boxes and open drawers. The closet door was ajar and he could see clothes hanging inside. _This is becoming borderline psychotic. What the hell is going on? _He looked at Arya innocently.

"I'm seriously as lost as you are right now."

Arya started limping towards the door when it flew open to the face of Saphira. She was grinning ear to ear and was dressed in tight jeans and a blue tank top. Her shoes were blue low-top Chucks and her hair was pulled into a pony. And it was black.

"Hey guys, so I have school in less than an hour. If you could get a move on that'd be awesome."

Arya just looked at her while Eragon's mouth was agape in utter confusion. Finally, Arya shook out of it and spoke.

"What is happening Saphira?"

The girl burst into laughter, resting her hands on her knees as she sucked in air.

"Your faces were priceless! Just brilliant!"

She leaned against the doorframe and continued laughing while Arya limped to her and gripped her shoulders.

"Saphira."

The blonde sobered up and shrugged off Arya's hands.

"Alright, alright. Get dressed and come downstairs. I'll explain everything there."

She disappeared as both of them looked down at their clothes to realize they were both wearing shorts and a t-shirt. _I wonder who dressed me. . . ._

"Eragon!"

He startled at Arya's tone before making a face and walking towards the closet. It was mostly taken up by what he assumed was Arya's clothing, but there was a portion that were mens. Pulling down a pair of jeans, he studied them.

"Oh gosh no."

Arya looked over and smirked but remained silent. He grabbed the blandest shirt he could find which just happened to be a white v-neck and retreated into the bathroom. He stepped into the jeans and swore as he pulled them up. This was not his style. At all. Looking in the mirror he cringed._ They fit way too close to my legs. It's not skinny jeans but still, too much. And why are they folded at the bottom? _

He shook his head and slid on his shirt, walking past the now closed closet door and into the hall. He paused, taking in the cream walls and white doors that led to other rooms. He continued on down the steps, walking into a room with a light brown leather couch that looked delightfully comfortable. Every step he took sent a volt of pain into his abdomen area and he wanted nothing more than to sit. The couch was directly opposite a flatscreen television and to the left was a brick fireplace. As he took everything in, Saphira popped her mysterious black haired head around the corner.

"Over here, stupid."

Eragon headed towards her, stepping into a kitchen with granite countertops and state of the art accessories. If he wasn't so busy being befuddled, he would've been excited by the fact that he would get to use them. Saphira scrunched her nose at his outfit. He snorted.

"I know, it's awful."

She shook her head.

"No, that's not it. You just failed miserably at dressing yourself. There's no flare."

"I don't want flare."

She sat at the table large enough to seat six comfortably.

"That's really too bad. You'll need it."

Just then Arya entered the kitchen. He stared for a moment at her peach colored, very skinny jeans. She wore a light blue checkered with white dressy type shirt and white flats. She tossed Eragon a gray-brown cardigan and a brown belt. He groaned and pushed his arms through the sleeves, not comfortable with the tightness of the fabric.

"Am I going undercover as a gay prostitute? I mean, seriously, what is with these skin fitted clothes?"

Saphira chuckled.

"Those are not at all skin fitted. Those jeans are perfect. Now, would you like to know why you're here?"

Arya sat down beside him, favoring her injured leg.

"Yes. Desperately. And you should also share why you have become the goth DRAGON."

Eragon sniggered while Saphira just rolled her eyes.

"This was my sacrifice for this mission. Say hello to your sister, Arya."

Next to him, Arya raised her brow.

"Really?"

"Yep. I'm staying with you two newly married cuties for the rest of the junior year."

She and Eragon both grimaced but he was the one to speak.

"Alright, ignoring this awkward and unusual cover story, why did we wake up together in a bed? How did we even get here? How long has it been since Chile? And why are we already out on another mission? Speaking of, what exactly is the mission?"

Saphira smirked.

"That first part was my little surprise to you both. I thought I'd just throw you on into it."

He glared at her.

"Thanks for that."

"No problem. You were flown here and brought in on the moving truck. It's been four days since you both were drugged, and you are here because we have a mole."

Arya cut in.

"Wait what? We have a mole? How do you know?"

"When we were flying back on the helicopter, Nasuada sent word that she'd found some disturbing information. It turns out that your cover was actually quite intact for most of the operation. Durza suspected nothing because for all anyone knew, Eragon had died months before. But he received a file on you that he didn't open until after you were finished fighting. A transmission also came in after we sent Arya in telling him about her identity as well. We realized that somebody on the inside was feeding Durza information and had been for several months. That's why he was always several steps ahead. We landed and Eragon went in for surgery while I sat with you in the helicopter. Orik and joined me and after some careful thought, we decided on a plan of action. As soon as Eragon was stabilized, we loaded him on the chopper as well."

Arya interrupted.

"You put pants on me, correct?"

Saphira chuckled.

"Yes, although you running about in the nude with an automatic weapon was incredibly amusing."

"I wasn't nude."

Eragon snorted.

"Oh, you were basically."

Arya shot him a glare while Saphira continued with her story.

"When we were almost to the airport, I knocked the pilot out and took over, landing and moving you two to a safe distance. Orik pulled the pilot from the chopper and roughed him up a bit, and then we planted an explosive on the bird and set it off. It looked like a crash. Nasuada, who had been in on the plan, brought four dead bodies from Durza's base and set it up to look like we had all died. From there, it was all about concealing ourselves for a day or so and then we chartered a private jet to England, where we are now."

Eragon chuckled.

"Damn girl. Blowing up choppers and planting evidence. You chose the wrong profession."

Arya spoke with a serious tone, ignoring his playfulness.

"Alright, I understand all that. But why here exactly? And what is the mission? Hiding?"

Saphira stood, grabbing her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder.

"I'll tell you in the car, I really do have to get to school." She opened a door that led to the garage. "You guys ready for this?"

Eragon hurried forward, looking into the dark space. She flicked the lights on and he about melted. There was a red Audi R8 closest to them and beside it was black Corvette ZR1. A grin was plastered to his face and both Saphira and Arya smirked. Saphira held out two sets of keys and Eragon's eyes shot to Arya. She watched him for a moment before shrugging.

"You choose."

"Yes!"

He snatched the keys to the Corvette and sprinted to it through the agony that was his stomach. He was about to get in when Arya cleared her throat. Looking over, he saw she was holding out his belt he had failed to put on earlier. He sighed and pulled it from her hands, sliding it through the loops before opening the door and sliding inside. The smell of new car assaulted his nostrils and he closed his eyes in appreciation. Saphira crossed her arms just outside of the car.

"While this will be yours, at the moment we all need to go and that car only has two seats. Come on."

He pleaded with her, not wanting to leave.

"Why can't she just stay here and I'll drive you?" Saphira opened the garage door. "Besides, the Audi is only a two-seater as well."

"But this isn't."

As the door lifted, they saw in front of them a blue ray metallic Range Rover Sport. He couldn't really complain. It wasn't a bad car in the least. He just wanted to drive his Corvette. Saphira handed Arya the keys and climbed in the back. Eragon slid into the passenger side and Arya the driver's seat. She turned the key and the engine purred.

"Saphira you still haven't told us why else we're here."

Eragon added.

"And why I couldn't have just taken you in the ZR1."

Saphira groaned.

"Alright, calm down guys. Arya, remember that kid we were tracking?"

"Firnen?"

"Yep. That's the one. Well he goes to school here and we figured since we can't show our faces at base, we might as well make use of our talents. And Eragon, you are going to have to fit in with the people here. It seems snobby and normal if both of you show up to make sure I'm all enrolled and the paperwork is settled. Now get over it. Open that front compartment."

He did as she said and pulled out a two cases. Opening one he found a Bulova Automatic Brown Croc Embossed leather watch. He grinned, sliding it over his wrist in appreciation. Opening the other, he found a pair of glasses. He shook his head.

"Nope. No way in hell."

Arya groaned.

"Those aren't men's glasses idiot. They're for me. Saphira why do I have to wear glasses?"

The girl grinned.

"Because they make you look smart and classy. Put them on."

Taking them, Arya did as she said.

"Are they not prescription?"

"Yeah. But they're still Fendi FS 970s so they are worth about two hundred and fifty dollars. Enjoy."

Arya turned her head and caught Eragon's eyes, making him freeze. The black rims seemed to make her eyes even more green. He was completely mesmerized. Finally Arya turned away and allowed him his sanity. Saphira snickered behind them.

"See? That's why you wear them. Eragon, thank you for the demonstration."

He glared at her.

"Shut up Saphira."

Arya put the car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway. To their left, Eragon took note of the next door neighbor's kid getting into an orange Hummer and tearing out of the driveway past their house. Arya glanced back at Saphira.

"Where am I going?"

Unbuckling, she leaned into the front seat and clicked over to the GPS.

"Right here. It's around ten minutes away I think. Both of you are crazy drivers though so we'll probably arrive in six. Now, as for covers, you're going to have to adapt very quickly. Careful though, you don't have your license at the moment. There are files back at the house in the bottom of the utensils box that has yet to be unloaded. What you'll need to know for this little exchange is your names, Chase and Taylor Drummond, and mine, Elizabeth Sands. My mother sent me here to finish out the year and see if I enjoy the school because she'll be moving us here after she gives out some of her work responsibilities. That's all you have to remember. Avoid all other questions until you know more."

He rolled the name around, enjoying it's sound. He grinned at Arya.

"You have a dude name."

She turned right, following the instructions.

"And your name is what a dog does to it's tail. I don't see how that's better."

"Touché"

Saphira chuckled.

"See you guys have got it down already."

He looked back at her.

"Got what?"

"How to argue like a married couple."

He stuck his tongue out at her and sat back in his seat comfortably. A thought hit him and he flipped down the mirror.

"Where are all my bruises?"

Saphira bit her lip.

"Um, they're there."

Arya chuckled as he stared at his reflection.

"Tell me you didn't."

Saphira looked at him smugly.

"Oh I did. You have about as much makeup on as I do right now. Don't worry though, yours wont come off for a week or so."

He whimpered.

"Why not?"

"Because it's specially formulated by some people at the Varden to last as long as it isn't messed with. You can even shower."

He leaned his head back against the chair.

"I hate my new life."

They pulled into a crowded parking lot two minutes later and Arya shot into a space before another car could. Eragon looked at her.

"Damn girl, rude much?"

She unbuckled.

"I'm playing the part. Let's get this over with."

They climbed out of the car and headed for the entrance. It was a windy day out and it was perfect for jeans. Several of the students glanced at them now and again, knowing they hadn't seen any of them before. They walked into the front doors and quickly assessed the layout. A sign with FRONT OFFICE on it pointed to the left so that's the way they went. They brushed by students and teachers wandering the halls. Eragon wondered if he looked like a student or an adult as they entered the office. A secretary greeted them with a smile.

"Elizabeth?"

Saphira returned her own grin.

"Izzie, please."

The lady nodded.

"Principle Teliki will see you and your. . ."

Arya stepped forward, offering her hand.

"Sister. I'm Taylor and this is my husband Chase. Elizabeth is staying with us for now."

The woman shook her hand firmly.

"I'm Cordelia, it's very nice to meet you. I hope your sister enjoys the school."

Arya smirked.

"I do as well."

They passed Cordelia's desk and entered into the room she'd pointed out. Behind a large wooden desk was a woman around the age of thirty. She stood and smiled warmly, shaking all three of their hands.

"It is so nice to have you all here. I'll make this as quick as possible so you two can get back to your day. We have all the paperwork and it seems in order so that isn't a problem. Do you have your timetable Elizabeth?"

Saphira nodded and pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket.

"Right here."

The principle nodded.

"Very good. I do have one concern though. The subjects you've chosen are all quite difficult and the exam board chosen for them is OCR, that is to say the hardest of the main three boards in the country. Are you sure you're ready for them?"

Eragon chuckled, squeezing Saphira's shoulder.

"This girl is smarter than both my wife and I combined. Regular classes have been proven too easy for her. "

The woman kept her eyes on him for several moments, taking him in, before nodding.

"Very well. Elizabeth you can head to your first class. The bell is about to ring and you don't want to be late."

Saphira jumped up and kissed Arya's cheek before heading towards the door.

"See ya later sis. By Chase."

As soon as she was gone Arya and Eragon stood but Rosa, the name he supposed was hers by the nameplate on her desk, spoke quickly.

"Not just yet please." They glanced at each other before dropping back into their seats. Rosa continued. "So while it is completely fine you two are her guardians, I want to make sure we wont receive any trouble from her mother. Was she forcibly removed from her care?"  
Arya shook her head immediately, seeming affronted.

"No of course not. My mother is away on business a lot but she is planning on relinquishing some of her responsibilities after this year. She'll move here then and she wanted Izzie to get a chance to get into a rhythm with the school and lifestyle here."

Rosa smiled apologetically.

"Of course. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. But these questions must be asked."

Eragon gripped Arya's arm, as if comforting her.

"It's no problem. Are we free to leave now?"

Rosa nodded.

"Of course. Have a nice day.

They stood, both hiding their grimaces of pain from their injuries. He nodded to her.

"You as well."

With that they made their way out if the school and back to the car. It took even less time on the return trip and they were both relatively silent. They opened the garage and walked back inside, immediately looking for the box Saphira mentioned before. They found it and pulled out their files. He pushed himself up on the counter and opened it in his hands while she leaned back against the fridge. He looked at her.

"What did ya get?"

She glanced at him as she skimmed the pages.

"Taylor Lauren Drummond, maiden name Sands. Married to Chase Isaac Drummond in the fall of 2009."

He whistled.

"Damn we got married young."

She smirked and continued on.

"I'm an intern at a law office here called Dold and Associates."

He nodded.

"Good cover. Nobody really pays attention to the interns so if asked they'll probably just imagine they've seen you before."

She flipped the page, skipping to her school.

"Apparently I went to and graduated Oxford with honors. I'm on the fast track to success. I moved here for school and met you at my job as a barrister"

He made a face.

"Barrister? What the hell is that?"

Arya rolled her eyes.

"It's a barista."

"Why not just call it that?"

Arya sighed.

"Eragon, Americans took English words and changed them. Most of the stuff said here is the original version. Get over it. Now, I met you at my job as a barrister that my mother made me get to learn hard work." Eragon snorted and she glared. "What?" He shook his head, ignoring her question until she continued. "I grew up in South Carolina with my mom but we moved to California, then to Tennessee, to Arkansas, and then back to South Carolina. That's when I left for England. It goes into detail about the past but I can look at it later. Who are you?"

He looked down at his sheet.

Chase Isaac Drummond. I'm and Organizational Psychologist. Um, what is that?"  
Arya shook her head with a grin.

"You give insight on why companies work or don't work and what needs to be changed or improved."

He grimaced.

"That doesn't sound good at all."

"If you excel, you can make around 100,000 a year. That's probably the explanation for this house and the cars. Well that and my mother's money."

He grinned mischievously.

"I make more than you."

"Eragon a lawyer makes around 130,000 on average. The bigger one's make more."

"Yeah but you're not a lawyer. My job is better than yours. I wonder, do you think Saphira arranged this on purpose? Giving me the harder job because I'm awesome?"  
Arya just shook her head.

"She gave you a job you would be good at. You are skilled at reading people and so this job wont be too hard with some preparation. I on the other hand will have to deal with the horrors of being a law intern. I think Saphira knew you'd end up punching somebody in the face if you had my job. Oh, and I also know all about the law. My mother drilled it into me at an early age."

He flipped the page, ignoring her obvious win.

"So there has to be a reason these jobs were chose. What is your connection?"

She let it go, finding what he was searching for.

"Firnen's mother is a partner at the firm. You?"

"My company that I am suddenly a part of is being hired to check over his father's business. They set us up pretty well."

She nodded.

"We'll be able to slide into their lives rather easily if we do this right." She dropped her folder on the counter beside him and took his as well. "Come on. It's time to go on a scavenger hunt."

He dropped to the floor, allowing his confusion to show.

"What?"

She ran her hand along the bottom on the microwave and grinned when she felt the texture change. Pressing, she heard the click of a release and the microwave swung out to reveal a hole in the wall. Inside were their passports, wallets, and new phones. She left the passports but emptied it of the rest of the contents. Underneath was a note that read, 'Way to go butthead. Good luck with the rest.' Eragon read over her shoulder and laughed.

"Of course Saphira would do that. How did you know that was there though?"

Arya headed to the living room, her hands running along the edges of all the furniture.

"Because that is the most obvious. In any safehouse or coverhouse we use an obvious nitch in case somebody comes snooping. If they find that they can just assume that we had it installed for our passports. It doesn't really draw suspicion. She reached the fireplace and ran her hands along the stones. Finding nothing, she moved on to the couch. She dropped carefully to her knees and felt along the bottom. At one of the legs he saw as she twisted. The floorboard revealed a small hole with a clear screen. She pressed her thumb to it and it flashed green. The boards he was standing on began to shift and he hopped off. Below them in a case was an array of weapons including two Glock 18s, four USPs, two XD-9s, and two M4A1s. He grunted.

"What's with these guns?"

Arya closed the hold and stood up.

"England's gun policies are insanely restrictive. You get what you can. Let's keep looking."

He followed her up the steps.

"There's more?"

Arya passed him back the note she'd taken from the last. He grinned at the spitting face she'd drawn at it's center.

"Mature."

Arya pulled open a room and found it to be empty, along with two others. The next was Saphira's room. She walked inside and looked around. He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"What are you looking for in here? Do you think this is a place she would hide stuff?"

Arya walked to her bedside table and studied it before moving to the other side and messing with the chest.

"No but she'll have something in here for just her. . . . Aha."

Arya stepped back as the chest shifted and revealed a hole where a single FNS 9m rested. Eragon turned and went to their shared room, checking as Arya had. He found the latch when he pressed the back leg of the bed. A panel of the wall slid open just as Saphira's had and the same weapon lay there. He grinned, picking up the gun and letting it fall comfortably in his hand. He liked this weapon. Ever since he'd shot it he'd enjoyed the ease at which it all worked. It wasn't his favorite by any means but this would do just fine.

"Eragon."

He followed her voice to the closet in an empty guest room. The entire wall had opened to reveal four shelves of all type of gear they could possibly need. Knives, rope, handcuffs, tranquilizer guns, a crap load of ammo, heavy duty backpacks, etc and they were set up floor to ceiling. He bounced excitedly on his toes.

"Jackpot."

She nodded and closed up the panel.

"Alright, let's go study up on the neighbors shall we?"

He sighed.

"Do we really have to do that now?"

She gave him a look that silenced him into quiet acceptance.

Two hours later he threw the folder down and stretched.

"Alright, lunchtime. Anything sound good?"

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Are you planning to cook?"

"Of course."

She went back to her folder.

"Then no."

He grinned.

"Afraid you'll love it?"

She didn't look up.

"More like I'm afraid I'll die."

Tssking, he opened the pantry and was happy to find it fully stocked. Picking out a case of Rigate noodles and set them by the stove. Flipping it on, he pulled a pot down from the rack and filled it with water. The stress from the day immediately began to drain away as he fell into a habit he had grown to love.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She snuck a glance to find that he was working around the kitchen like he was raised there. He tossed the the noodles into the boiling water and didn't bother to set a timer as he turned and pulled a bowl from one of the cabinets. Spinning the spices rack, he grabbed three items and set dumped certain amounts of each. Opening the fridge, he returned to the counter with cheese and milk. _Is he seriously making this from scratch?_ Suddenly he looked up and caught her watching, making him smile and her frown. _Dammit._ She focused on her work then, going over the list of the lawyers at her firm. After a time a delicious smell infiltrated her nose and caused her to breathe in deeply.

Something clanked next to her, causing her to jolt. Looking down she found a plate of steaming macaroni waiting for her. Eragon was standing before her triumphantly, his eyes daring her to try it. She bit her lip to hide a grin and dropped the sheet she was holding. Picking up the plate she gave him a warning look.

"If I die I will haunt you to your death."

He leaned casually against the table.

"I guess you in ghost form will get to see a whole lot more of me then."

She rolled her eyes and speared two noodles with her fork. Hesitating once more, she finally took the bite. Immediately the taste seeped into her, bliss being the only thing she could feel at that moment. Holy hell. Eragon clapped in triumph as she grinned instinctively at the taste.

"Yeah! I so told you!"

She kicked at his thigh, pushing him back.

"Go away I'm eating."

He continued to grin as she finished what was left on her plate. Too prideful to ask for seconds, she set it in the sink completely cleared and returned to her files. Another clank. She shook her head, biting back a smile as he walked away. He'd brought her another plate. She looked up at him.

"Why do you think I want more?"

He picked up his, heading for the living room. Before he was out of sight he paused and grinned at her.

"Like you said, I'm pretty good at reading people."

She finished the second helping and returned to her work, feeling lighter than she had in quite some time. This bantering back and forth, while sometimes annoying, was also relatively fun. It took her mind from other things and allowed her to forget. Something she rarely did.

**GoldenzBulbasaur: **Haha yeps :D

**pie6013:** How did I get it wrong. Sadness :( lol

**funnelwebs:** Well that was a story. They were playing Eragon to get him to give himself up. Well just assume that some of the Varden stuff is more awesome than regular stuff haha. I actually haven't decided if I want him to live. I think he's dead right now though unless I decide I have use for him later haha. And idk if it was writers block. My friends have been kind of dicks lately and instead of being sad, I like, completely shut off my emotions or something. Idk how but yeah.

**My Generation:** I guess it does signify it in some way. A little bit. I am kind of changing the progression of the books but yeah it's basically the end of the first.


End file.
